Cloudburst
by Velvien
Summary: In the darkness, the strangest of bonds may be forged.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, this is Nu x Tsubaki. Because my ships don't make any sense.  
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**Rated due to the usual language and violence, as well as the possibility of citric situations later. And, obviously, yuri.**

**Set shortly after Continuum Shift.  
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><p>Naught but darkness stretched into infinity, suffocating without weight. Despite her incorporeal state, pain stabbed from what would have been her torso. A repetitive beep sounded, muffled as though projecting through a wall, incessant. Shattered memories burned her mind, intensifying this hell. Over and over, they repeated. Agony, a white-haired man, death. Ad infinitum. She tried to focus on his face, but agony blurred it, made it unrecognizable.<p>

And the memory faded, a green taint swallowing it bit by bit. An evil presence lurked in her mind, destroying it. She would be reduced to nothing, mindless. No matter how she struggled, nothing could stop it. And soon, there was no face. No memories. Just a name which brought joy. Ragna. She did not know who he was, or how she was connected to him. That name echoed in her mind as she fought to preserve it. The green miasma would not steal Ragna's name from her.

Nor did it attempt to. With no warning, she felt it depart. A light bloomed in the distance, swelling, consuming the oblivion. The beeps increased in volume as the wall separating her from its source actively crumbled. And a minute later…

Nu-13 opened her eyes. She stood naked in a glass tube, surrounded by blinking machinery. In the darkness, she could make out very little. "Loading...loading...loading…System reboot complete. All systems optimal."

"Ah, very good. The doll's awake!" A man clad in dark attire seated in a chair kicked away from his desk, turning a sliver-eyed smile on her. His arms folded on the back of the chair and he rested his chin atop them. "Gotta say, Relius sure can be quite the genius. Guess he's gotta make up for having the personality of a cardboard box somehow. So…all systems are optimal, then? Nothing's missing?"

"Scanning…no errors detected. All systems operating at maximum efficiency. No protocols absent."

"Ah, good. Would hate to try and install something on you. I mean, hell, you ain't got a disk drive, so I wouldn't know how to do it anyways. I'll make sure Relius installs one next time." Chortling, Hazama rose and slid the chair away. Now came the true test. "Now, number thirteen, tell me; what do you know about Ragna the Bloodedge?"

Nu stiffened at the words, trying to recall what she did know about him. Subconscious programming overrode her, spitting out words she hardly comprehended. "Ragna the Bloodedge. SS-class criminal. Highest bounty on Librarium records. Wanted for terrorism."

"…And nothing else about him?"

"Wields the Azure Grimoire. No further information found. No image on record."

"Ah, very good! Very good indeed." Bouncing on his heels, Hazama sauntered over to the desk to grab a file and look it over. "Well, everything seems to be in order. First, though, we gotta get you ready. We may have made you better, stronger and faster, but dear old Relius insists that a field test is in order. Joining with First Lieutenant Garbage should work. I was hoping to see Yayoi squirm a little more, but…eh. Oh well. She had her chance. Shit needs to get done, you know? So, yeah. Field test, then you get to kill Raggy."

"Kill…Ragna?" Nu shook her head, a burst of consciousness piercing the restraining programming. "But…Nu doesn't want to kill Ragna…"

"Hm?" When Hazama turned back to her, a sliver of yellow blazed in a cracked-open eye. "You mind repeating that, number thirteen? I could have sworn you said that you didn't want to kill Ragna…"

"Nu doesn't want to kill Ragna." Clutching her head, she shuddered as she fought off an internal attempt to control her body. "Nu…likes Ragna…"

"Oh. How cute. So some self-awareness survived. I thought I fixed that." And without warning, a chain shot out to clutch her throat in its snake-like vice. "Now, listen here. You are _nothing_. You are not Nu. So stop calling yourself that, okay? Your feelings for Ragna don't matter. So stop whining like number twelve, _okay_? You are the 13th Prime Field device. A living weapon and our newest toy. So shut up with your insipid bullshit. Unless you want me to correct your memories some more. I'd be happy to oblige."

"No...Nu has no..." Wincing from the chain, Nu shook her head. "...I have no objections..."

Hazama sneered at her. "That really wasn't the point."

"Huh? But..."

The chain pulled taut, dragging her towards him. "You are _nothing_. Just give into your programming and stop existing. Okay?"

"I..."

"Nuh _uh~_. There is no 'Nu'. At least, there won't be by the time I'm done with you."

"...Please..."

"Heh. Pleading. Never expected to hear that from one of you. Ah well, glitches exist." With a dark chuckle, Hazama drew a knife and spun it between his fingers. "Don't worry, I'll fix you right up..."

"That's enough." A new voice sounded, deep and ponderous and welcome against Hazama's jovial sadism. A masked man stepped in, violet cape flowing behind him as he strode up to Nu. "Whether or not the 13th Prime Field Device has retained her original soul is hardly important. Her functionality is all that is necessary. Should...'Nu' rebel, I shall have Konoe see to it that she fulfills her role. She is to be quite the player in this next act."

Growling, Hazama retracted the chain. "Eh. Whatever. Have fun with your new little toy, Relius."

"I believe I shall." As Hazama took his leave, Relius stepped forward, hand on his chin as he scrutinized Nu's body. "You. Step forward."

"...Acknowledged." Succumbing to her robotic state, Nu did as bade. Relius circled her, keen eyes scanning for any mars on her pale body. A wave of discomfort passed over Nu and she shook. In an attempt to spare herself further scrutiny, she said, "The regeneration was 100% successful. No physical flaws, interior or exterior, detected. I request you stop your examination."

"Oh my." Relius chuckled before coming around to her front again. "Indeed, there seem to be no physical flaws. Very well then. Clothe yourself. I shall introduce you to your...partner."

Nu cocked her head, her visible crimson eye blinking with confusion. "...Partner?"

"Indeed. You are assigned to work with a subordinate of mine and Hazama's. Hurry up. I haven't got all day, you know."

"Understood."

As Relius turned and strode out, Nu glanced around the lab. A turquoise bodysuit hung near where she stood. After pulling it on, she stood still a moment before following Relius's path out the door. The masked puppeteer greeted her with a cold glance. "Come with me."

"Affirmative." Nu fell into step behind him, following him through dark, windy halls. Around and around they spiraled, frequent flights of stairs leading up past various chambers. All doors were closed, so Nu could not see anything even if she wanted to. It dawned on her that it was as though they climbed some dark peak.

And as they walked, burgeoning misery wreaked havoc on her mind. Was that man right? Was she nothing but a weapon? Not a person, but an object, a tool to be used by others? The thought pounded inside her head, drilling itself deeper into her mind until she accepted it as fact. And this tower was her own personal crucible, a bastion in which she would be left to wallow in despair until the capacity for anything else faded...wherever this place was. Bleak curiosity descended upon her. "Requesting current location."

"We are outside of the 9th Hierarchical City of Akitsu." Relius paused, pondering how much he should tell her. Certainly nothing of the spire's true purpose. "...A tower, to be exact. Under Librarium control."

"Understood."

Though her curiosity was not yet satisfied, Nu still decided against further inquiry. After several minutes of silence, they came to a halt in front of a door. Relius rapped his gloved knuckles against it, producing metallic echoes. "First Lieutenant Yayoi, open up. It's me."

"Y-yes, colonel." A moment later, the door slid open to reveal a girl; her crimson hair seemed to glow in the dark that permeated the halls. Her eyes glanced once at Nu before returning to her superior. "What do you need of me?"

"Come. I have orders for you and the 13th Prime Field Device." Without waiting for a response, Relius turned and headed further along. "Make haste. Both of you."

"R-right!" Tsubaki stayed at Nu's side, casting the pale girl curious glances. Nu paid her no mind. After a minute of awkward silence, Tsubaki sighed and decided to break the ice. "Well...um...too bad the elevator isn't..."

Nu did not acknowledge her, so Tsubaki gave up her attempts at conversation and followed Relius, silent. At long last, they reached another door. Without a word, Relius took a seat in a plush armchair. "Have a seat."

"Yes, sir." Tsubaki did as bade, her face as stiff as his mask. "What do you need of me, sir?"

"First off, report on the status of your mission."

"Very well. I encountered both Noel Vermillion and Jin Kisaragi in Kagutsuchi. As per my orders, I attempted to terminate them. However, I was unable to do so. I am currently in the dark as to where either of them are." Tsubaki spoke in monotone, betraying none of the mixed emotions that flooded her. The sole indication that anything was out of the ordinary was the tightening of her fist at Noel's name. After a moment, she cleared her throat and went on. "Also...I realize this isn't supposed to be part of the mission report, but Izayoi has begun to take-"

"Izayoi's effect upon you matters little to me. Unless it is on the verge of taking your life, do not prattle to me over it."

Biting her lip, Tsubaki kept her head up even as her eyes tried to turn downcast. "I understand, sir. I will not mention it again unless it's an emergency."

"Good." Relius turned and grabbed a stack of papers. After rifling through them for an instant, he found what he sought. Two files in neat folds. Handing one to each of the girls, he skewered Tsubaki with a stare. "Now listen. Your orders have been modified. In addition to your pursuit of Vermillion and Kisaragi, you are to monitor the 13th Prime Field Device."

Relius indicated Nu with a dismissive wave. "Specifically, monitor her mental state and combat ability. Keep records. Every three hours should suffice. Should you note anything out of the ordinary, record it immediately. Are your orders clear, First Lieutenant?"

Tsubaki nodded, firm and resolute. "Yes, sir."

"As for you..." Relius turned to Nu, who did not so much as blink. "You are to join First Lieutenant Yayoi's mission. Terminate the traitors Noel Vermillion and Jin Kisaragi. Furthermore, you will ensure that First Lieutenant Yayoi remains loyal to the Librarium. Should she falter in her mission and turn to her target's side, kill her. Understood?"

Nu cast a glance at Tsubaki's face, pale but carved in conviction. "Affirmative."

"Excellent. Noel Vermillion has been spotted in Akitsu. She is currently accompanied by two members of Sector Seven, including the Red Devil. It is advised that you wait until she is separate from them before engaging. Jin Kisaragi's whereabouts are unknown. However, reports indicate that Jubei of the Six Heroes is with him. To attack him would be foolhardy, to say the least. Thus, Vermillion will be your first target." Relius rose and strode past them to the door. His dismissive wave served as a silent message that the meeting was already over. "You leave for Akitsu via airship at 0800 hours tomorrow. You have one week for this mission. At that time, you will report back to me and the 13th Prime Field Device will be reassigned.

The door shut, sealing the two girls alone together, lost in thought. With a quick jerk of her head, Tsubaki looked over at Nu and gave her an awkward smile. "So, first mission?"

"Affirmative."

There was no warmth to Nu's word, no movement to acknowledge Tsubaki. The response was robotic to a terrifying degree. Although she felt as though she had been blasted by an icy wind, Tsubaki decided to press further. "Um...what should I call you, anyways? Colonel Clover didn't give me your name or anything..."

"I am the 13th Prime Field Device."

Tsubaki blinked, the chill of her answer raising goosebumps on her arms. "Well, um...is there something simpler I can call you by? I mean, calling you the thirteenth seems really...well, it makes it seem like you're just an object, not a person."

"Nu isn't a..." A moment later, Nu caught herself. Her eye widened for a moment, but other than that, she showed no reaction to her slip. Her lips pursed as Hazama's words ran through her mind. "...I'm just a weapon. Not a person."

"...That's not true... Oh, my apologies. I'm Tsubaki Yayoi. And you called yourself...Nu?" Remembering her manners, Tsubaki extended a hand toward Nu. Another arctic stare later, she retracted it, shivering.

"...Nu shouldn't call herself that." The stark edge of her voice melting, Nu looked down at the cold concrete beneath her bare feet. "_He_ will get mad. And then he'll remove Nu's memories of Ragna..."

"He?" Tsubaki shifted closer to Nu, concerned. She made a point to disregard the mention of Ragna. "Who do you mean?"

"...Nu doesn't know his name. He was there when Nu woke up. Nu..." Heaving a sigh, Nu concentrated on examining the web of cracks in the floor. The mere thought of Hazama left her unable to speak."

"What was he like?"

"...He had green hair. And yellow eyes. That's..."

"Captain Hazama?" With a quiver, Tsubaki said, "I see. And he's been telling you that stuff? That you're not a person, or that you don't have a name?"

Nodding, Nu felt tears bite at her eyes. "...Nu doesn't want to talk about this anymore."

"...Alright. I'm sorry." Standing up, Tsubaki again extended her hand. "Still, if you ever need somebody to talk to—about anything, really—I'm right here."

Rather than take the offered hand, Nu blinked her lone eye up at Tsubaki. "...Why is Tsubaki being so nice to Nu?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't I? I mean, we're going to be partners here, right?" Tsubaki smiled down at her, warm and comforting. She had no idea what Nu had been through, but if her attitude was any indication, she wanted to help this poor girl.

"...Thanks, Tsubaki." Nu looked down and smiled before accepting her hand. Once on her feet, she felt her stomach growl. "Um...what time is it?"

After stopping to think for a moment, Tsubaki gestured for Nu to follow her. "Late afternoon, I think. Here, how about I show you around and then we can grab some dinner?"

"...Okay." Her head hung low, but a smile survived on Nu's lips. Not everything here cut, it seemed.


	2. Chapter 2

The airship hummed as it cut through the air, descending toward one of Akitsu's harbors. Inside, two girls waited in silence, sitting across from each other. Nu, clad in the white robes of Zero Squadron, kept a blank stare on Tsubaki, who flipped through a novella dramatizing the final battle of the Dark War. On occasion, she would glance up from the book to meet the cyclopean stare before returning to reading. Curiosity, mired with some semblance of sorrow welled up in her, however. She set her book aside and met Nu's gaze again. "Um, Nu? Is it alright if I talk to you a little?"

"Affirmative." With the exception of her lips, Nu did not move in the least.

"Alright. Um…" Tsubaki hesitated, afraid of offending the pale girl. "…Why did you say that you're not a person?"

"Nu is an artificial creation. Function: Anti-Sankishin Core Unit number 13. Captain Hazama requests that I do not refer to self as 'Nu'. I am a weapon. Nothing more." Every word that Nu spoke was hard and robotic, as though reinforcing her mechanical nature. "Request query termination."

"That's… Alright, I'll stop pressing you." Once again, Tsubaki found herself taken aback, unsure of what to say. If Nu did not want to talk about herself, Tsubaki was not about to force her. However, curiosity sparked up inside Tsubaki as she recalled something that Nu had said the previous afternoon. "Um…may I ask about your connection to Ragna the Bloodedge?"

"Ragna…?" Nu's robotic countenance faltered at the name, a light pink spreading on her pallid cheeks. "…Nu likes Ragna."

Tsubaki's heart skipped a beat as she blanched. For her ally to not just know Ragna, but actually _like_ him… "My apologies, but I must ask how you know him."

It took Nu several long moments to find her voice. "...Nu doesn't know. I don't know what he looks like or anything, but...when Nu hears his name...I feel happy."

"…I see." Tsubaki pulled out a notepad and a pen to scrawl a few notes. "And yet…you have never met him?"

Nu shook her head. "…Nu doesn't know. Nu must have known Ragna before, but…it's like Nu's memories were erased…by Hazama…"

"Hmm…" Tsubaki scribbled another two sentences before she shot another glance up. "So…you say that Hazama not only insists on you ceasing to be Nu, but you think he erased your memories of Ragna?"

"…I don't know." Nu folded up on herself as her fingers clenched in her hair. "…Nu remembers almost nothing from before she woke up. But…Nu was alive before then. And Hazama was there. He…did something to Nu…"

Tsubaki's lip creased as she finished a last set of notes, stored her pad away, then shifted closer to Nu and rested a hand on her shoulder. She had no words for her partner; the whole situation made little sense to her. She considered that perhaps Nu was lying to her, but she dismissed the concept a second later. Nu looked over at what Tsubaki had written and scanned the contents. "…You're going to tell Colonel Relius about this, aren't you?"

With a sigh, Tsubaki nodded. "I'm sorry, Nu. But it's my assignment. I have to inform Colonel Relius about everything you just said. Especially your fond…feelings for Ragna."

"…Captain Hazama already knows, though." The memory of her first encounter with the dark man stabbed Nu's heart. "That's why…he told Nu she was nothing. Because Nu likes Ragna, but…"

"Still. I can't just ignore this. Any connection to Ragna must be…" She trailed off as a tear rolled down Nu's cheek. Tsubaki's heart melted and she pulled her hand back. "I won't report you continuing to refer to yourself as Nu, however."

Nu's head shot up. "…Tsubaki isn't gonna tell them that…?"

"I…disagree with Hazama's assessment that you're 'nothing'. Very strongly, in fact." Tsubaki sighed as her eyes dropped. "…If you want, I can attempt to have you transferred out of his command. His actions are clearly a violation of protocol."

Nu gaped at her. "You'd…do that for me…?"

"Of course. What Captain Hazama is doing is impermissible; nobody deserves such treatment. The sooner you are able to get away from him, the better." Stretching, Tsubaki glanced at Nu. "I will include the request with the submission of my mission report."

"…Thank you, Tsubaki…" After a moment, Nu shook away her shock and giggled. "You're really nice, Tsubaki. Nu likes you!"

With a brief chuckle of her own, Tsubaki returned a soft smile. "I…am glad that I can help, Nu. Well, we should be landing shortly. I'd suggest you get ready."

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><p>"So, like, what does Tsubaki do on patrol?" Nu walked alongside her new friend through what seemed to be a wealthy sector of Akitsu, judging by the pure white buildings stretching overhead. "Does she know where she's going? Are we gonna bring in some criminals and some junk?"<p>

It took all of her tremendous willpower for Tsubaki not to giggle at Nu's exuberance. The moment they had landed, Nu took on some excited, chatty persona, an entire universe from her previous analytic demeanor. And truth be told, the change was welcome. It reminded her of Makoto. "That is certainly part of the aim, yes. Of course, our priority is finding and keeping tabs on Noel."

"Who is this Noel, anyways? What does he look like? Ooh, Nu bets he looks like a pirate! Does he, like, have an eye patch and scars and stuff? Is all he all like 'arr, matey'?" There seemed to be no end to the questions.

"First of all, Noel is a she." Tsubaki couldn't help but chuckle. However, her mirth was short-lived. "She…was my best friend for many years…"

"Oh…" The words struck Nu hard and she deflated. "Nu's sorry…"

"It's alright. I…have already come to terms with what I must do." Tsubaki sighed as her footsteps faltered "…Our other target, Jin Kisaragi, was another of my closest friends."

"Huh?" Nu stopped short, lone visible eye wide. "…Tsubaki has to kill her best friends? That's…like, so unfair for you…"

"…When I joined the Wings of Justice, I forfeited myself to the Librarium. What I desire is superseded by the Librarium's needs." With a vicious shake of her head, Tsubaki started her patrol again.

Nu, on the other hand, didn't move. "…Tsubaki shouldn't have to kill her friends. You're too nice for that kind of stuff."

Again, Tsubaki came to a stop. "…Noel is not my friend anymore, anyways. Thank you, Nu, but we should really get going."

Nu sighed and behind Tsubaki as she strode forward again. She wanted to know what had come between Tsubaki and her old friend, but… "Okay…Nu's sorry to hear it, Tsubaki. If Nu can do anything to-"

"What the hell?" A new voice cut across the roundabout, gruff and skeptical. The girls turned to its source, a white-haired man in a blood-red jacket, tailed by a hooded girl with cat ears. Tsubaki paled at the sight as she stumbled back. Ragna, however, fixated on Nu, a deep scowl cutting across his face. "…How are you still alive? You died! Twice!"

"Nu…died? Twice?" Nu shook her head and analyzed the strange man before her. "Analyzing...Azure Grimoire detected. Threat level is SS. No records match target."

"…That's Ragna the Bloodedge, Nu." Tsubaki ceased her retreat and summoned Izayoi. At once, her uniform changed and the plain beret transformed into a winged cap with a piercing blue eye. She straightened herself and glared at Ragna. "What business do you have with Nu?"

"Huh? Ah, shit, it's you." Ragna advanced, hand gripping his sword. "Listen, if you don't wanna get hurt, you might wanna get the hell outta here. This ain't gonna be pleasant for you, Yayoi. I'll deal with you afterward. Don't get in my way, and you won't get hurt."

"Hey, good guy!" The catlike girl behind Ragna scampered up to him, and glanced between the two girls with pointed teeth set in a wide grin. "Why are you being mean to red lady and flappy-flap? What have they done? Tao thinks we should all be friends, meow!"

Ragna rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Not happening. 'Red lady' wants Noel and Jin dead and…screw it, I ain't even dignifying that name you gave Nu. What the hell's going on with you?"

"Mew?" Before Ragna could stop her, Taokaka dashed over to Tsubaki. "But red lady looks so nice! Why would you wanna hurt lacking lady?"

"…I have no idea who you mean." Tsubaki raised Izayoi, not about to trust any allies of the Grim Reaper. "However, if you're in league with a man as evil as Ragna…"

"You're…Ragna?" Nu blinked at the white-haired man as dismay flooded her. Why did the mere thought of him bring such joy, when he was…? "You're a meanie."

"Huh?" Ragna blinked, dumbfounded. "Tch. Whatever. Not like you ever make any goddamn sense anyways."

His glare focused on Tsubaki, who paled. "And you. You're trying to kill Noel, aren't you?"

"…My orders are of no concern to a bastard like you." Her glare intensified as color seeped back into her cheeks. "You've ruined so much for me... I'm quite glad I get to be the one to end your reign of terror."

"Huh." Ragna raised his right fist and a deep purple miasma swirled to life around it. "Well, we gonna do this or what?"

Tsubaki readied her weapon and matched his glare. "Neither of us have much of a choice, all things considered. I will render judgment upon you for your sins"

"Tch. Self-righteous bitch... And at any rate, you're trying to kill Noel and Jin. No damn way am I letting you walk away." The wicked point of Blood-Scythe glinted as Ragna unsheathed it. "Tao. Let's go."

"Mew?" Taokaka cocked her head as an ear twitched. "I don't get it, good guy…"

"Just trust me, dammit! Hell's Fang!" Ragna hurtled forward to hurl a punch at Tsubaki, a trail of darkness left to burn behind him. The fist collided with Tsubaki's shield with enough force to drive her back an inch. As she brought her blade around, he took another swing that summoned an explosion of the Azure's power to throw her to the ground. "You ain't walking away from this, Yayoi."

"Lux Sanctus: Murakumo online. Engaging battle mode." Nu's robotic voice heralded the appearance of a great sword, at least ten feet long, which melded around her to create silver armor. The Cyclops eye glared at Ragna as she sent a pair of phantasmal swords at him. "Nu won't let you hurt Tsubaki. Get away from her."

"Tch…well, if you're gonna insist..." Ragna sidestepped the swords and charged toward Nu, fast in spite of his oversized hunk of metal. "Sorry, Nu, but get the hell outta my way!"

He threw a swift kick at Nu's chest; at the last second, she jetted back and hurled an octet of slender blades at him. They bit into his raised arm and he grunted as he tensed his legs to launch himself forward. A shout from behind was his only warning before Tsubaki raked his back with a rising slash. Snarling, he lurched forward and stumbled. Nu brought her blade-wings back but hesitated, all the opening that Ragna needed.

He shot up off the ground with a roar into a spinning slash that hurled her upwards. He twisted around for a kick with enough power to fracture a skull. The shadows that came with it burned into her as she crashed back to the ground. As he felt his wounds heal, Ragna turned upon landing and blocked the wing extending from Tsubaki's book. With a hiss, he stepped back as her sword came around for a slash, then snatched her wrist, drove a knee into her gut and tossed her away.

With no warning, gravity yanked on Ragna and tried to pin him to the ground. As he turned around, he just managed to block a wide slash from Nu's hovering blades. He growled. "Are you even trying? There's no way in hell that would have-"

"I've got you!" Tsubaki's shouted as her book slammed into and bound him with an energy matrix as she drew in energy. Her sword twisted and morphed into a long staff in which the light collected. With a swing, she sent the light at Ragna, which bowled him over and sent him skidding down the street. Nu winced as he bellowed in pain. Without delay, Tsubaki raced after him. Her sword segmented as she spun to bring it down on him.

"Don't touch good guy, meow!" A tan blur tackled Tsubaki, sending her bouncing down the road. Tsubaki rolled back and summoned her shield to block the rapid slashes from Taokaka that followed. The cat bounded into the air and dived down at Tsubaki, claws extended.

Meanwhile, Ragna hopped to his feet and charged at Nu with a chest-high kick that she sidestepped around. After the slightest hesitation, Nu summoned her eight slender blades to needle at Ragna. The delay in the attack was all he needed to slip around and grab her by the throat, sword at the ready. "You ain't giving me a choice. Thanks for saving me back there, but…"

Rather than impale her on Blood-Scythe, he tossed Nu into the air and launched after her, a spinning blow followed by a sharp burst of darkness that hurled her up against a wall. As she slid to the ground, he snarled. "Stay down while I deal with Yayoi."

As Taokaka descended upon her, Tsubaki retaliated with a rising slash that radiated blue energy. A claw raked her cheek, but the light kept the worst of the attack away. Tsubaki flipped around and crashed earthward, a blow that sent Taokaka skittering across the cobblestone. Tsubaki cast the Kaka a glance before turning back to Ragna, who charged at her. She snarled. "Aequum!"

Tsubaki shot forward, a blur coated by a red light as her shield, a whirling barrier, led her. The force, while not enough to throw Ragna back, staggered him. His wrist caught the slash at his gut, although Izayoi's razor edge ate through his glove and bit flesh. He dodged the angel's wing the book spat then hacked at her midsection with his blade, which Tsubaki caught with her own. Tsubaki growled and swept low for a kick; Ragna would have none of that. "Inferno Divider!"

The blade just missed cleaving her in half, but it did leave her helpless for a midair punch to the face and bicycle kick to the skull. A moment after Tsubaki crashed to the ground, Ragna landed and drew his sword back for a stab to her neck. In the blink of an eye, Nu dashed at him with spinning blades. He had just enough time to block the attack; each thin sword scraped on the flat of Blood-Scythe. He stepped back and growled as Tsubaki took the chance to roll away from him. "Grr…the hell's with you? You're hesitating. You don't actually wanna hurt me, do ya? Same really, so go the hell away already!"

"Cause of error unknown. Maintaining termination protocol." Nu launched a kick straight at Ragna's face, catching him with her metal boot and putting space between them. She shifted backwards and summoned a dimensional rift to spew a pair of swords while Tsubaki rose. Deciding that blocking the attack would just end in the Wing of Justice running him through from behind, Ragna dashed ahead, raising his sword to his side. It shifted around and became a scythe, which cut in a wide, Azure-fueled arc. Both girls blocked the strike, but the sheer force unbalanced them. Blood-Scythe snapped back into its normal form as he stepped forward and slashed at Tsubaki again.

Just as Tsubaki blocked, something else crashed into her. Strong claws raked through her uniform, gashed her side and sent her sprawling. As she tried to clamber back to her feet, a heavy paw smashed down from above and kept her on her stomach. Taokaka crouched on top of her with a grin. "Hey, come on, eye lady! It's no fun if you just lie there, meow! Come on, play with Tao!"

"Tao, help me with this chick!" Ragna weaved between a pair of blades and struck back; the blow glanced off of Nu's wrist-blades. On anticipation of her back step, he launched forward for a lunging punch, coated in darkness. The attack caught Nu by surprise, and a following wave of shadows planted her against a building. Ragna smirked. "Or maybe not."

"Get off me!" Tsubaki managed to throw the Kaka off of her and twisted around to her knee. Tsubaki's eyes widened as Ragna bore down on her. She had one choice. Granted, the cost would be heavy, possibly debilitating. But... "Restriction code 16 released. Izayoi, activate."

And in the blink of an eye, darkness swallowed the streets, a dome that covered half a mile and left all in its grasp blind.

Ragna's eyes widened as all of the light swarmed into Tsubaki's book and left him blind. A moment later, a flare of pain erupted in his stomach as Tsubaki drove her blade into him. He gurgled and dropped to his knees. "Shit...Tao, stop her..."

A single spark erupted into existence to light Tsubaki's way. Not even Taokaka's keen eyes could penetrate the all-consuming darkness. "Mew? What's going on? Tao can't see, good guy!"

Tsubaki shoved Ragna to the side and raced to Nu, even as her eyes ached with dull pain. The albino girl's head swiveled, a vain attempt to spot anything. "Tsubaki? What's going on? Nu's scared..."

Tsubaki seized the girl's wrist and gave her a pull to spur her along. "Just trust me. We're getting out of here."

Ragna crawled in the direction of her voice, snarling. "Like...hell...you bitch..."

Nu did not resist and took off with Tsubaki. Her armor reverted to the standard clothing of Zero Squadron. "What...what's going on, Tsubaki?"

"Put simply, I blinded everyone but myself over a wide radius. I'll explain later." Tsubaki winced; Izayoi's drain on her eyesight intensified, the ache becoming a burn. Left with no other option, she released the blinding dome. At once, light flooded back into Akitsu and she dropped to her knees, gasping. "We...need to keep moving...Ragna will probably be up shortly..."

She held a hand in front of her and blinked at the blurry digits. "...Are you alright, Nu?"

"Nu's fine." Nu crouched down beside Tsubaki, that lone eye staring at her with concern. "...Is Tsubaki...okay?"

"I'll live..." Tsubaki gasped as a surge shot through her eyes. "...We need to-"

"Hmm? What's this?" A familiar voice startled the girls. Hands in his pockets, Hazama sauntered up to them, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Oh, hello girls. Is it just me, or did you two just get your asses handed to you?"

"...We encountered Ragna the Bloodedge, sir." Tsubaki trailed off as she flinched. "...And a companion who wasn't exactly weak, either."

"What's this? You were actually stupid enough to fight Raggy?" Hazama snorted. "Well, then. At least your cute wittle feewings for him didn't get in the way…right, number thirteen?"

Nu stood up and looked down at the ground. "Nu's sorry..."

"Guess not. Hmm...I don't think sorry quite cuts it, you little doll." Without warning, Hazama's hand ripped out of his pocket, knife in its grip. He smirked as her eye widened with confusion. "I think it's about time you had an attitude adjustment, seeing as your pathetic feelings for Ragna are getting to be a _real_ hindrance."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Blame college.**

* * *

><p>"Huh?" Nu's eye widened and fixated on the glimmering blade. "But…Nu tried to…"<p>

"Nuh _uh~_." With a smirk, Hazama walked up to her, a yellow glint in his eyes. The knife whirled once on his fingers. "I'm _really_ sorry, but I just can't let this shit slide anymore. First Lieutenant. Report. What did she do against Ragna, hm?"

Tsubaki narrowed her eyes and clenched her sword but nodded. "As far as I could tell, Nu perfo-"

"Number 13. Not Nu. If you don't mind, of course."

"…My apologies, captain, but I prefer to call her Nu. At any rate, as far as I am concerned, she performed admirably in our fight against Ragna the Bloodedge. If there was any indication that something was awry, I failed to notice it."

With an energetic nod, Nu grinned, a mask to hide her unease. "Y-yeah! Nu did just fine against Ragna! He was being, like, super-mean to Tsubaki and-"

_"Ehhh_!Wrong!" Hazama's blade flashed and a thin red line carved itself into Nu's cheek. As he stared at her pathetic, confused stare, he chuckled. "Let me tell you something, thirteen. I hate lies more than anything else. Oh, and I can tell you're lying your ass off right now. I mean, I knew you were insipid and annoying, but _cowardly_? Oh my, we can't have _that_ from a weapon, now can we? So…I think we're going to have to make a few more, ah, adjustments to your memory."

"Huh?" Nu backed away as her bottom lip quivered. "But…Nu will be good! It won't happen again!"

"Yeah. I know." Hazama shot his hand out to clutch her by the collar and drag her in. His eyes opened to reveal yellow irises. "Because there won't be _anything_ left of your bullshit. I'm sorry, but this annoying 'Nu' character you've created for yourself-"

"That's enough, captain!" With a pull on Nu's shoulder, Tsubaki broke the grip Hazama had on her. She stepped forward with a deep snarl. "My apologies for acting out of line, but such treatment of one of your subordinates is-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, don't care." He turned his serpentine stare on her. "Look, if this bothers you so much, why don't you just step around the corner for a moment? Okay? Kinda doing business here."

Nu's eye widened and she shook her head vigorously enough for her long hair to whip back and forth. Blood dripped from her cut. "No, please Tsubaki, please stay with Nu, Nu doesn't want…"

As Tsubaki set a hand on her shoulder, Nu trailed off. However, Tsubaki's eyes trained on Hazama. "I will not abandon Nu to your torment."

"Then just stand there like a good little soldier and _shut up_. Okay? O-kay." Once more with a smirk on his face, Hazama pocketed his knife. His eyes squinted until they appeared shut once more. "Now. Number thirteen. Let me set you straight. You were created—by us, thank you very much—to be a _weapon_. Do you know what that means?"

"U-um…" Nu pressed herself against Tsubaki's rigid form. "…Please stop…"

"…God, you're just as pathetic as Noel. But anyways. It means you…" Hazama pointed at her as a mocking curl painted his lips. "…Are made totally goddamn worthless with emotions and all of that shit. No wait, let me rephrase that. Every little bit of you, besides the stabby parts, is worthless. Your body is all that matters; Nu just needs to stop existing. So do me a favor, will you? Stop forcing yourself to exist and let all of Relius's wonderful programming act for you, okay?"

"...No." Nu shook her head. "Nu doesn't wanna."

"That wasn't exactly a request, you know." Hazama chuckled to himself and spun his blade. "But hey, this whole personality thing…does it serve any point, really? Oh, wait, I know! It's for Raggy, isn't it?"

"N-no…Nu doesn't…"

"Tell me, doll. What makes _Ragna_ so god damn special? I mean...all he ever did was try to kill you. Not exactly someone I'd dote on."

"...Nu doesn't know..."

"He doesn't give two shits about your well-being. Hell, I don't think he's even grateful that you saved his stupid ass! You said you two fought, right?"

"Th-that's not how it was! I fought only because he was being mean to Tsubaki…"

"Yeah. Wonderful guy, that Ragna, am I right?"

With an audible growl, Tsubaki wrapped her arm around Nu's shoulder to comfort the trembling girl. "Ragna had perfectly valid reason for attacking me. He even seemed-"

"This has nothing to do with you, First Lieutenant. You don't understand half of what's going on, so just shut _up_." Yellow eyes flicked to meet hers. "Here, how about an official order from a superior? Stop. Talking. Okay?"

Nu, her eye wide, tugged on Tsubaki's arm in panic. "I-it's okay Tsubaki, Nu'll be fine, please don't make him mad…"

With shake of her head, Tsubaki sighed. "I am not going to leave you alone with this man. Nor will I back down if you dare threaten her, Captain."

"Well, whatever then. As long as you keep your mouth shut, I'm happy." Hazama yawned and stretched. "Anyways. Ragna. Cute, lovable, puppy dog of a man, right? Let's be honest here. He doesn't give a damn about you, thirteen. Hell, I'm pretty sure he'd love to see you dead. I mean, really, why should he not? You only stabbed him with a ten foot sword and tried to drop him to a fiery death. Sounds perfectly forgivable to me."

Nu's eye widened and she clutched her head. "Nu…did…you're lying!"

"Oh, good, I was waiting for you to spout that! Just like clockwork!" Hazama threw his head back for a laugh. Tsubaki bristled and clenched her sword tighter but Hazama paid her no mind. "Why would someone who hates lies more than anything tell one? Oh, no, trust me, this is all _truth_."

"...But why would Nu do that...?"

"Oh, I dunno, programming and all that, maybe? It's totally killed your chances of ever being with him, too." Hazama scowled as he rubbed his chin and appraised her. Inside, however, he was smirking. It was time for the final assault. "You know, you're a real flappy-flap. Always trying to reach Rags, but he's always out of your reach! Flap all you want, but you'll never catch him. Don't you get it? He _hates_ you! Doesn't want anything to do with you, you unnatural albino bitch! Get it through your head: you're not _human_! And for that reason alone, no one will ever care about you. So tell me. If no one gives a shit about 'Nu', then why should 'Nu' even exist? Sounds stupid to me. I mean…"

"P...please..." Nu had sank to her knees in the middle of Hazama's rant as tears dribbled from her eye. "Wh-why are you doing this to Nu...?"

"Because the sooner you know the truth, the better." After he put on a warm smile, Hazama leaned down to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you see? Being this...'Nu' character is just gonna hurt in the end. I'm just offering to take the pain away. Come on now, why don't you-"

And without warning, a vermillion blade rested against Hazama's neck. Tsubaki snarled down at him, her sword hand shaking. "I've heard _enough_. Leave Nu alone, Captain."

"Not again..." Hazama looked up at her as the false warmth faded from his eyes. "Tell me, First Lieutenant. Do you have a brain, or is there just a tin morality trophy stuck between your ears?"

"I refuse to dignify such a question with an answer."

"Tch. Yeah, because it's true, isn't it?" Hazama stood up as his knife glinted. A tiny globule of blood dripped from it. "You _really_ need to learn when to keep your stupid mouth shut, First Lieutenant. Might get you into trouble one of these days."

"I refuse to sit by and allow you to torment Nu any longer." Tsubaki lowered her blade, but her glare remained strong as ever. "I will be filing a request to your superiors that Nu be transferred outside of your jurisdiction. I believe my account of what has happened here will suffice in convincing them to do so."

"Cute. Really. Do you actually think that will work?" Hazama smirked, a smug expression that dented Tsubaki's confidence. "Newsflash, sweetheart. I hold a _lot_ more sway in the Librarium than you could ever imagine. Sorry, but the regular channels aren't going to work. And besides…"

He chuckled. "The Imperator will just override anyone dumb enough to try."

Tsubaki snarled as her mind fought to come up with a reasonable explanation for the power he claimed he held. "That's…even if what you say is true, Hazama…"

"Captain, thank you."

"…Very well, Captain. Still, I refuse to allow your mental barrage on Nu to continue. Your attack serves no purpose other than to abuse."

"Why are you so dead-set on defending trash? Oh, wait, let me take a guess." Hazama put on a broad, mocking grin and his eyes opened to burn yellow. "You just wanna get in her pants!"

Something in Tsubaki snapped. "You vulgar bastard…!"

"Geez, can't you take a joke? I know you've got the hots for a certain AWOL major…" Hazama chuckled at the hissing breaths escaping Tsubaki's lips. "But seriously. Are you _really_ this desperate for a friend? You could go down to the local robotics shop and buy something just as human as number thirteen here! And hey, it'd be far less rebellious, right?"

Tsubaki said nothing for several long moments as she routed all of her self-control into not attacking the captain where he stood. Finally, she spat, "I am not _desperate_ for a damn thing. Except perhaps for Nu's torment to end."

"_Really_ now. Interesting." All her words did was make Hazama's sickening smile grow wider, more terrifying. "So you're back on good terms with Noel then? How about Jin? Or Makoto?"

That last name froze Tsubaki and blasted away her rage with a numbing chill. "What? Makoto…?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Yeah, she's turned traitor, just like the rest of your so-called friends. Pretty sure she's with Sector Seven right now, along with dear old Noelly." The yellow leer Hazama wore pierced her to the very soul. "At some point, you gotta wonder how much you really meant to them."

"…Ideological differences do not mean that anything about our friendship was meaningless." Even as she spoke, Tsubaki could not help but ponder the truth of Hazama's barbs. "None of this means…"

"Are you sure about that? Okay, I'll give you Jin. But come _on_. You've never considered that Noel and Makoto were just using you?"

"…That makes no sense whatsoever."

"Again, are you _sure_? Two chicks that struggled with the booky bits of the academy who happen to befriend someone intelligent, noble, kind, able to keep them on the right track…" The smirk took on a more mocking tinge. "Gullible, easy to manipulate…"

"Stop this!" At once, Tsubaki's fire returned. To be under such verbal assault for defending Nu… "You don't know half as much as you think you do about me! We're still…"

"So you still consider them friends, huh? I mean...I'm pretty sure that Noel stole something kinda important from you and that Makoto chose her over you..."

"Unless you have something concrete, I will not listen to _any_ of this."

"Oh well, whatever. Keep being naïve; it ain't my bitch." Hazama chuckled once more. "Just keep that in mind, will you? I mean, we wouldn't want to lose _such_ a talented officer, would we?"

"Is there a point to this mockery, or are you just seeing how far you can push me?"

"Ah, right. The point." Hazama jabbed a finger down at where Nu crouched on her knees. "Her. She failed, and I'm the one who's gotta clean up now. So will you kindly stop playing hero and let me get on with business? Really, this 'justice' fantasy of yours is just gonna get you in trouble."

"I won't let you touch her." Tsubaki braced herself and summoned her book-shield to her side. "Leave her _alone_, Captain."

"Okay, look." At once, all traces of amusement were gone from him. In their place, commanding malice. His blade glinted in the sunlight. "This was kinda cute at first. Now? You're pissing me off. So shut _up_ and get out of the way already, First Lieutenant."

"I will do no such thing."

"This is an _order_. From a _superior officer_. Are you capable of braining up what that means, or has this tumor called 'justice' spread so far that you've forgotten?"

Tsubaki shrugged. "I don't care. Keeping Nu safe from you is more important to me right now."

Hazama grinned, tight and ferocious. "Well, _okay_ then! I suppose a little punishment is in order! I mean, considering how much you enjoy handing that shit out..."

"Stop this…" Nu stepped in front of Tsubaki. "Nu will go with you…please leave Tsubaki alone…"

With a laugh, Hazama sheathed his weapons. "Ah, very good! About time you-"

"No." Tsubaki's glare remained firm. "I will not allow this."

"But...Tsubaki, he's gonna..." Nu turned a pleading look Tsubaki's way. "...Nu doesn't want anyone getting hurt for her..."

"And I'm not about to let this _monster_ erase who you are." Tsubaki raised her blade toward Hazama.

"...You're really doing this. You're really lifting a weapon at me. Wow, I guess I was right about the morality trophy thing." Hazama smirked and turned away. "Well, whatever. I got places to be. I'll let you know how many ranks you've been shunted down due to this stunt, okay, Yayoi?"

And with that, Hazama disappeared into a void. Tsubaki stood still a bit longer, her breaths huffed. A finger tap on her shoulder made her spin around to face Nu. "Nu...are you..."

"Why did you..." As she teared up again, Nu looked down. "...Go so far for Nu? Hazama's going to...um...Nu doesn't know what, but it will be bad for Tsubaki..."

Tsubaki's arms encompassed Nu in a light hug and drew the two together. "Don't listen to him, Nu. None of what he said about you was true..."

"Nu doesn't believe him. But..." Nu shook her head and looked up into Tsubaki's eyes. "...Nu doesn't understand...why did you help Nu? You...really shouldn't have..."  
>Tsubaki blinked. "You're my friend, Nu. Of course I was not going to let that happen. And besides, what he wanted to do...erasing who you are...nobody deserves that."<p>

"Nu...is Tsubaki's friend?" Nu collapsed her face against Tsubaki's chest and returned the embrace as tears streamed. "Thank you..."

Tsubaki held tight to the girl, although the crying left her concerned. Crying just because Nu was told Tsubaki considered her a friend? "Um...Nu? Are you alright?"

"Mhm." Nu looked up again and grinned as she wiped away tears. "Nu's fine. I'm just...really happy right now. Tsubaki...thank you so much for helping Nu..."

Tsubaki chuckled as her arms dropped. "You're welcome, Nu, although...no, never mind. Just know that I'm glad to help you with...well, whatever."

Pain ached along her wounds from the fight with Ragna and Tsubaki winced. "Um...would it be alright with you if we found a place to rest for a while? And then maybe we could get a bite to eat?"

"Okay!" With a giggle, Nu broke off her own hug, her tears already forgotten. "Can we get food first, though? Nu's starving."

Tsubaki chuckled and nodded. "I believe we could that. Come on, let's go have a look around. Just...away from where we encountered Ragna..."

As the two girls headed off, a pair of mechanical eyes watched them from behind tinted glasses a good distance away, their sight zoomed in. The behemoth lifted a radio to his mouth. "Kokonoe. I believe I have located a new Murakumo Unit. Orders? ...Very well, then."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Apologies for the both wait on this and the length of it. Pen name change is for security reasons.**

* * *

><p>"Huh?" Nu glanced up from her lunch. Or what was left of the messily-eaten sandwich, anyways. "What's that, Tsubaki?"<p>

"An additional report, concerning Captain Hazama's treatment of us." Tsubaki's eyes did not leave the paper as she scribbled notes on it, pen in a white-knuckled grip. "I fully intend to free both of us from that monster's jurisdiction, so I'm recording everything from that meeting. With any luck, we'll be placed under the command of another officer. Or he will face a court-martial for his treatment of his subordinates. Preferably both."

"Oh, okay." After burying her face in the sandwich's corpse for a moment, Nu grinned. "Good! Nu doesn't wanna work with that meanie!"

With a light chuckle, Tsubaki cast her half-eaten lunch a disdainful look. "Nor do I, Nu…huh?"

As Tsubaki spoke, Nu's face went pallid—even more so than usual—as she stared at something behind the redhead. Tsubaki started to swivel around. "What's wrong…?"

A bright red face with yellow spectacles and fangs protruding from the lower jaw greeted her and Tsubaki froze up as well. "You…you're Sector Seven's Red Devil…"

"And you're with Zero Squadron, correct?" Tager held her gaze for a few long moments before extending a hand. "Unit TR/0009 Iron Tager. And please relax; I am not here to fight."

"Really." As her shock faded, Tsubaki's eyes narrowed and her hand shot down to her sword. "Then may I ask why you are here?"

"I have orders from a top scientist within Sector Seven to speak with the Prime Field Device here and, with her permission, possibly return her to the lab. These would not be interrogations; Kokonoe just needs some information." Tager paused to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And…I believe I heard you mention a certain Intelligence officer."

"…I see." Tsubaki allowed herself to relax, although her fingers remained on Izayoi's hilt. "…We will talk here then. My apologies, but I refuse to let Nu leave alone with an agent from the Sector. Especially one with your infamy. In return…please tell me what you know about Captain Hazama."

As they spoke, Nu curled up against her seat, trying to make herself look as small as possible. She reached out to tug Tsubaki's sleeve. "…Tsubaki, this guy is scary…"

With a sigh, Tager nodded. "…Very well then. And my apologies for intruding upon your meal. However, I must request we speak elsewhere; it would be too easy for an agent of Hazama's to overhear us in such a public setting."

"…You have a point. However, a location affiliated with Sector Seven…"

"Would be impermissible. I understand. Do you have a better meeting place in mind?"

"U-um…" Nu cast Tager a nervous glance and raised a trembling hand. "We could, um…talk on a monorail…or something…"

Both Tsubaki and Tager stared at her for several long seconds, making her shrink behind the table. Tager nodded. "That sounds workable. Could you assure us our own car, miss…?"

"First Lieutenant Yayoi." After giving Nu a reassuring smile, Tsubaki sent a curt nod Tager's way. "I believe I could, yes."

"Very well then. I…should probably report to Kokonoe quickly." Tager turned to leave. "Meet me at the area 5 monorail station, First Lieutenant."

"Understood, Mr. Devil." As soon as the behemoth was gone, Tsubaki exhaled and turned to Nu. The girl's face had color in it once more, but she still appeared scared to move. "…It's alright, Nu. I promise we'll be fine."

"…He looks really scary. Like, _rawr I'm gonna eat Nu _scary!" She turned a pouty face up at her friend. "…Do we have to go with him?"

With a sigh, Tsubaki looked away. "…I believe it would be for the best. I do not trust him much, but I doubt he would take no for an answer, and I'd rather not fight him. And if he does prove trustworthy…then we may have an ally against Captain Hazama."

"Mm…" With a nod, Nu bit back into the remnants of her sandwich with roughly half the enthusiasm as before. "Okay then. I guess you know what you're doing."

Not really, no; a thousand doubts bubbled within Tsubaki. Still, in the end she figured it would be best to settle this whole matter as peacefully as possible. She gave her lunch one last look and sighed. No point denying a meal.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, a chrome-colored monorail train thundered down its southbound track. The exterior shuddering of the machine had little impact on its occupants. Tsubaki shifted in anxiety, her eyes on the colossus before her. In contrast, Tager's face was as calm as ever, even with the two seats he'd been forced to shove into the overhead baggage compartment threatening to topple over onto him. Nu, for her part, had chosen to sit on the floor by Tsubaki's leg, looking for all the world as though she wanted to race from this monstrosity.<p>

After nearly a minute of uncomfortable silence, Tager adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Thank you for coming, First Lieutenant and…Nu, was it? I apologize for the need for secrecy but I would rather not have your Intelligence captain catching wind of this."

"It's no problem." Although the look on Tsubaki's face, narrow-eyed and scowling, indicated otherwise. "Please continue."

Tager suppressed a sigh. It came as no surprise for her to be so terse, but it was a bit of a problem. "Very well then. Kokonoe is opposed to Captain Hazama gaining any more power than he already possesses—he has instigated far too much destruction as of late. As such, she wishes to extend an invitation for both of you to her laboratory, so that she can work on releasing some of the strictures designed within you, Miss Nu. Primarily the identity wipe procedure, which is a loathsome tool."

Nu blinked slowly, rising from the faint and fearful stupor she'd remained in since Tager's arrival. "You mean you can stop him from ever using that?"

Tager offered a half shrug. "I do not know. Kokonoe is the specialist in that area, but I imagine that it can be prevented given her brilliance. In addition, any time you spend at the laboratory is, inevitably, time Hazama is denied access to you, which is also to our benefit."

Tsubaki closed her dagger stare and looked down in thought. "...I see. Your offer sounds good. Too good, in fact. Last I checked, we are technically enemies. Why should I place my trust in Sector Seven?"

Tager inclined his head. Here came the difficult part; convincing a Wing of Justice to trust him. "A good question. The simplest answer is that Kokonoe has no interest in seeing a Murakumo Unit in Hazama's hands, regardless of circumstance. And…forgive me, Miss Nu, but as long as you are Nu's handler, then you are at least unlikely to deploy her in pointlessly violent and destructive missions. Such as, for example, senseless assassination assignments."

The words came as a verbal blow to Tsubaki and she opened her eyes out of shock. He couldn't be referring to her orders, could he? But…there was no other explanation for him pointing out assassinations. She regained her composure and said, "...I suppose you are aware of what Hazama has sent me to do, then? May I ask how? We just formally met half an hour ago; is this Kokonoe aware of me?"

"The attempted assassination of Miss Vermillion is, perhaps, more important then you believe it to be," Tager said with gentle gravity. "To you, it was personal—but to rest of the Librarium, it is the highest of black ops deployed against a highly talented woman who had engaged multiple times against the Bloodedge and survived. The political fallout has been tremendous."

Tsubaki stared in gape-mouthed shock at the crimson titan. Her mission was that widely known? And... She couldn't imagine the shockwaves that no doubt rolled through the Librarium at the news that she hunted the Hero of Ikaruga, as well. She felt a pang of guilt for hounding her closest friends. "I...was unaware of the magnitude of my actions..."

She paused. If her mission was so well-known, then for the sake of safety, it would probably be best to leave with Tager here. The chances of an overzealous defender springing to Jin's "aid"… No. This was not enough to betray the Librarium over. Not even close. She shouldn't even believe his words, but... "...Could you please tell us what you know about Hazama?"

Tager exhaled. He had hoped to avoid mentioning this, but if it helped convince her… "Hazama is an alias. He is Terumi Yuuki—of the Six Heroes, yes—and he is singularly malevolent in intent and action. I am not entirely certain of his goals, but he has instigated anarchy and destruction at every turn, and is personally responsible for the genesis of the Murakumo project."

Silence followed Tager's words. As Tsubaki sat stock still, her mind churned to work out the colossal magnitude of what he had just said. Hazama...was Terumi? The traitor to the Six Heroes, who had slain Nine? How was this possible? That had been almost a century before!

...But Hakumen was still around, wasn't he? Then...it wasn't completely out of the realms of possibility for Terumi to be as well... She turned to Nu, still sitting by her leg, but looking less ready to bolt at a moment's notice. "...Nu? What do you think we should do?"

Nu wrapped her arms around herself. "Nu doesn't know. But…Nu doesn't want to go back to Hazama. Ever. She's happy _here_. With you."

She grabbed onto Tsubaki's leg for emphasis and squeezed tight.

A breath later, Tsubaki leaned down to give Nu a brief hug around the shoulders. Tager coughed once. "If you don't mind me asking, Miss Nu, what exactly did Hazama…no, Terumi do to you?"

"He…" Nu sighed once and looked up, cyclopean gaze glinting. "He treats Nu like she's not a person. Like she's just something to use, and then throw away when he's finished. He's trying to use that identity wipe thingy to erase Nu."

"Trying to use it?" Tager blinked behind his glasses and leaned forward. "Then how are you still…well, you?"

"…Nu doesn't know." She hung her head. "Nu just…is still Nu. He was also super-mean to Tsubaki when she tried to defend me."

Nu looked up, tears budding at the corner of her eye. "…If we went with you, would Nu be safe?"

"As safe as anywhere." Tager nodded, brows unfurrowing to soften his expression. "The NOL is not aware of Sector Seven's location, and I am certain Kokonoe would do her best to protect the two of you."

"Okay then. Nu wants to go with you, Mister Tager." The girl turned her gaze up at Tsubaki. "Is that, like, okay, Tsubaki? I…never want to be near Hazama again. _Ever_."

Tsubaki tightened her one-armed embrace around Nu. The man's existence was clearly toxic to her, and that alone was reason to go along with Tager. No matter what awaited them at Sector Seven, to remain in Terumi's clutches would be disastrous. "...Very well. I believe I will accept your offer, Mr. Devil. I...will reveal whatever you or Kokonoe may need about Hazama, but any other Librarium information..."

Tager raised one massive hand, the fingers brushing against the seat flanking him on that side. "None of that is necessary. Our interests coincide in the removal of Terumi. As long as you remain in Sector Seven's company, he will be the only enemy you will be asked to work against. Anything else is wasteful conflict of interest."

Nu brightened the faintest bit, rather than remaining sullen and silent as she had for the majority of the meeting, and rubbed her head against Tsubaki's bicep. "Thank you, Tsubaki." she half-whispered, the happy shine in her eyes too bright to be anything but unshed tears.

After turning a bright smile at the girl, Tsubaki looked back at Tager, the flames held for him absent. A smile, small but grateful, crept onto her lips. "Very well, then. Thank you very much, Mr. Devil."

The eternal rattling of the cabin ceased as the train slowed to a halt. Perfect timing, that. Tsubaki stood up and extended a hand to Nu. "Um, I suppose it would be best for us to leave straight away?"

"Most likely." Tager agreed, and the gauntlet on his upraised hand whirred to life for a brief moment. It magnetized and drew a steel box up off where it was attached to Tager's belt and startled Nu into a jump. "My apologies, Miss Nu, but I do not possess - fine dexterity. I have to find alternatives."

He extended the box, magnetized onto his fingertip, out to Tsubaki, revealing one side to be clear plastic. The interior contained a great deal of steel filings which, as Tager's brows furrowed in concentration, drew into recognizable letters and symbols. "You may enter Sector Seven at these coordinates. Please memorize them."

Tsubaki read over the numbers several times so as to commit them to memory. So, Sector Seven was located in Wadatsumi, district... She damn near facepalmed at the area number. "I see. Thank you."

She turned to look down at Nu. "Is there...anything else you need to do before we leave?" Of course there wasn't, but she had to make sure.

Nu glanced up timidly at Tsubaki, then inhaled, stiffened her spine, and offered her hand to a rather surprised Tager. "Thank you, Mr. Tager. For helping us. Me."

Tager stood motionless for a moment, then carefully returned the magbox to its latch, and attempted to take Nu's hand in response. It proved an exercise in futility, and with a slight giggle Nu instead just grasped his index finger with both of her hands. The soldier snorted in amusement. "It was my pleasure, Miss Nu. I think I'll see you again soon."

"Indeed." Tsubaki gave Tager a quick nod and stepped away to disembark. "Farewell, Tager. And thanks."


	5. Chapter 5

It was nothing of particular note, certainly not anything one would expect to be one of the final bastions of science. A somewhat rundown storage building in the middle of an equally shabby block of Wadatsumi; nothing worth suspecting in the least.

"Is this it, Tsubaki?" Nu peered over her friend's shoulder at the gigantic steel shutter barring their way, no doubt oversized for Tager's sake. "It looks…like, not very sciency."

"A smart decision. Sector Seven can't afford to attract attention, and I don't see anyone suspecting so run-down a place." Tsubaki cocked her head as she approached the door. Well, insofar as Tager's presence could keep a place from being suspicious, anyways. Nor did the departing Sector Seven airships such as the one Tager allegedly rode in on help. But then, she had no idea where they launched from anyways. She glanced around the entrance and frowned. "Hmm…no obvious way to open this. Maybe I could just…"

Tsubaki raised a fist and rapped against the steel. The metal reverberated, but nothing happened. She sighed. "…It would have been nice for Tager to tell us how we could enter the lab."

"Oh! Nu knows!" Nu grinned as the giant blade of Murakumo materialized behind her. "Nu can open it!"

"Uh…" Tsubaki blinked twice at the massive sword. "I…don't…think Kokonoe would appreciate us shredding her door very much…"

"You're damn right I wouldn't." The door slid up and Kokonoe stepped through, lollipop in hand. "Yayoi and Nu, right? Come on in before you freeze your asses off."

The scientist turned and headed into the lab's darkened recesses, prompting Tsubaki and Nu to follow after her. As they wandered the winding halls leading belowground, Kokonoe fixed Tsubaki with a glare. "Oh, and don't even think about screwing us over for the Library, by the way."

"I have no intention of doing so; not when you're an ally against Terumi." Tsubaki kept her expression neutral, annoying though being fixed with such an immediate accusation was. Well, then. Time to try and put the scientist at ease. "I know that Tager said that Terumi is the only enemy I would be asked to work against, but if there's anything I can do to repay you that doesn't involve acting against the Librarium…"

"…So, a common threat besides Terumi? I'll think about it." Kokonoe led them into a chamber, scraps of metal strewn about and ripe for tripping passersby. "Right now, gotta do something with Nu. I need to make it so Terumi or Relius can't erase her soul. Then we can figure out what the hell to do from here. Of course, if you really wanna keep Nu safe, it'd be best for her to stay here. But shit, you don't seem like the type to sit on your ass when hell breaks loose."

"Nope! Tsubaki's all about justice!" Nu giggled as she skipped after Kokonoe. "She'd, like, be right on the front lines and stuff."

"Great…another justice freak." With a sigh of exasperation, Kokonoe came to a halt by a tall glass tank. "Well, anyways. We can talk about this shit more once Nu's safe from being erased by those bastards. Gonna need you to strip down and get in this tank here, Nu. Yayoi, you can step out if you want. Just don't touch _anything_."

"U-um…" Nu stared up at the glass monolith, goose bumps rising on her arms. She had never seen this device since her awakening, but the sight of it filled her with dread. Had she known it in what may as well have been her past life? "O…okay…I guess."

Tsubaki placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, concerned. "What's wrong, Nu?"

"…Nu doesn't know. Nu…just…" With a shake of her head, Nu stepped forward. "But Nu will do it."

"Hm. Alright." Kokonoe hid her scowl the best she could. If Nu regained her memories of her time in Lambda's body, this could end horribly. "Okay, let's get going then. The sooner we get this shit done, the better. Yayoi, you probably should leave."

"Ah…" Nu turned to Tsubaki, her eye big and pleading. "Please stay, Tsubaki. Nu's…"

Tsubaki smiled at her, calming her fear. "I'm not going anywhere, Nu."

* * *

><p>With a sigh, Kokonoe sat back in a chair and stared up at Nu, asleep in the liquids of the tank with a good number of tubes connected to her bare body. "Well. The mind wipe procedure's being deleted now. Just give it a few minutes, and then I'll run a diagnostic on her. She should be fine, though."<p>

"I…see." Hearing someone speak of her friend as little more than a machine unnerved Tsubaki. Still, she gave Kokonoe a firm nod. If this was the kind of service Nu needed, then so be it. "As long as she's alright."

"Like I said, should be." Kokonoe swiveled her chair around to face Tsubaki. "Alright, you said you'd be willing to help if it didn't mean going up against the Library, right? Thought of something you could help me with, since Tager's busy right now."

"Oh?" Tsubaki brightened up. "And what would that be?"

"You know that bucket of rusty armor? Hakumen? I need him for something. And to make sure he doesn't blow everything to hell. He does that better than anyone not named Terumi. Can you and Nu find him for me?"

Surprise enraptured Tsubaki for several moments. "…Huh? Wait, you know Hakumen?"

"Heh. You could say that." Kokonoe gave her a proud smirk. "I was the one that dragged his rusty ass out of the Boundary."

"I…I see." Tsubaki stared in wonder at the semi-feline scientist. She had pulled Hakumen out of the _Boundary_? Just how powerful was this science of hers? There was no way Ars Magus could accomplish such a thing. "May I ask what you plan to do with Hakumen?"

Kokonoe deflated. Goddamn it, she just _had _to keep asking questions, didn't she? "Sure, but you're probably not gonna like it. It's to make sure he's not about to ruin everything by killing a certain Grim Reaper."

"What?" Tsubaki's eyes narrowed; why on earth would anyone want Ragna to _live_? But…Nu liked him, didn't she? Until she had actually met him, at least. "May I ask why you'd spare Ragna?"

"Simple. He's probably our best bet for getting rid of Terumi, no matter how much of an asshole he is." Kokonoe relaxed a little. If Tsubaki was actually willing to hear her out, all the better. At least the girl could be reasonable, assuming this was the case. "And Tager reported that he's injured pretty badly right now. If Hakumen finds him now, he's toast."

"Mm…" Tsubaki averted her gaze. It would be better not to inform Kokonoe that she had been the one to inflict such grievous wounds on the Grim Reaper. "And what would you ask of Hakumen?"

"To not kill Ragna, on threat of being chucked back into the Boundary." Kokonoe sighed and stood up. "Just trying to keep everything on track for taking out Terumi. Granted, I doubt you're gonna do this now that you know it's so Ragna doesn't get horribly massacred by Hakumen."

"…Just two more questions. I'd like to know why you and Ragna are so vehemently opposed to Terumi."

"No idea what Ragna's deal is, but he seems to have started his entire damn war to kill the bastard. As for me…" Kokonoe closed her eyes and scowled. "Bastard killed my mother. Reason enough for me to hate him, I think."

"Agreed. And finally…why me? Is it simply because I'm not officially affiliated with Sector Seven, and thus expendable to you?"

"Nah, I ain't that much of a bitch. It's really more Nu than you." Kokonoe turned to Nu's floating body. "You got any idea how damn strong Murakumo Units are? We're gonna _need_ someone that strong in case Hakumen resists violently."

"…I'll do my best." Although Tsubaki would not fight Hakumen if he refused to come; this was not something worth risking her life over. Especially for a monster's sake. "And, um…how much longer until Nu's ready?"

"Give her another half hour." Kokonoe turned to smirk at her. "And thanks for accepting, Yayoi."

* * *

><p>Relius scowled at the reports stacked on his desk. All was in order, except one thing, one missing report for the day. With complete neutrality, he rose from the desk and strode out of the room. A five minute trek later, he arrived at the Intelligence headquarters, drab and dark, but every bit as tidy as his own quarters. Sans the officer he sought, that is; it was doubtful that Hazama ever cleaned his office. Relius approached the door and delivered two firm knocks. "Captain Hazama. A word, if you will."<p>

"Hm?" The door opened and Hazama poked his head out, frowning with confusion. "What's gone wrong now?"

"For the second day in a row, we have received no report from First Lieutenant Yayoi or her charge."

"Oh." A shrug. "And?"

"You know full well the 13th Prime Field Device is to play a key role in the activation of Nemesis Horizon. Have you any idea why we have lost communication with Yayoi?"

"Nope, sorry." Unless, of course, he had managed to turn First Lieutenant Garbage traitor with his little tirade the day before. If so? Then yay, an excuse to kill her. "Although I did encounter her. Seems she had a scuffle with one Grim Reaper."

"Is that so?" Relius's pale eyes narrowed, a dagger carried in his glare. "Please explain why you decided not to divulge such information."

"Well, she won. Technically; don't think she killed him, though."

"That is irrelevant. Am I to assume that the 13th Prime Field Device came into contact with the Beast?"

"Yeah, and?"

With a sigh, Relius shook his head. "If you are to remain this flippant, I will simply take my leave now. Alert all Intelligence officers in the Ikaruga region that they are to report any sighting of Tsubaki Yayoi. Is that understood?"

"Got it. And what happens if they do?"

Relius turned and strode away. "_I_ will pay her a visit."

* * *

><p>Slowly, Nu returned to consciousness, a buzzing in her head. She clasped it, trying to silence or stop the hum, but to no avail. Every throb of her heart sent a jet of pain through her skull, migraine agony that threatened to drop her to her knees. She stumbled forward and out of the capsule, looking around through blurred vision. "Tsu…baki…where are you…?"<p>

"Nu! Are you alright?" Tsubaki darted over to her friend and clutched Nu's shoulders. When all she got was a whimper, she turned and looked back at Kokonoe, teeth grit. "What's wrong with her?"

"Uh, she just had a major part of herself erased? Don't worry, she'll be fine." Kokonoe jammed a lollipop into her mouth and reclined in a chair. "Anyways, she'll be safe from any attempts Terumi makes at erasing her. So, all's good, right? Stop glaring at me already. And Nu, get dressed. Going around ass naked isn't exactly lawful."

With a woozy nod, Nu trudged over to where her Zero Squadron uniform lay.

"…If you say so." Tsubaki's glare did not dissipate as she averted her gaze to spare Nu embarrassment. "How much rest is Nu going to require to recover from this?"

"Like, ten minutes. Murakumos aren't exactly fragile, you know." Kokonoe swiveled the chair around to face a computer. "Well, anyways. Nu. You have a mission. Lemme print out some stuff for you guys."

"Huh?" Nu blinked and cocked her head. "A mission for Nu?"

"Yeah. Operation: Drag Hakumen's Stupid Ass Back Here. Tsubaki can give you the details on everything, or you could just read this stuff." A printer by Kokonoe's feet whirred into action. "Also, as should be obvious, don't go reporting this shit to Terumi. Last thing you need is a court martial, and the last thing I need as a Library army being crammed down my throat. Here you go."

Kokonoe handed the freshly printed stack of papers to Tsubaki, who cocked her head. Before she could question why it took ten pages to print such a simple order, Kokonoe explained. "Right. You got the mission parameters, as well as a bunch of data, like our most recent tracking of the idiot. Shouldn't be too hard to find him. And, um…also wrote out a proposal for him to join us. I mean, shit, I doubt it'll work—the guy is a complete knucklehead. But hey, may as well try diplomacy, right?"

"Yes, I agree." As Tsubaki flipped through the pages, her lips drew into a light frown. She was about to go against a man she had all but worshipped in her youth to protect a man she reviled. No, she would _not_ fight Hakumen for this. If he didn't agree straight up, she would leave it be. "Very well then. When should we depart?"

"As soon as you can."

"Alright, let's…" Tsubaki trailed off at the wide-eyed look Nu gave her. "What's wrong, Nu?"

"Nu's hungry."

"…Oh." Stifling a giggle, Tsubaki turned back to Kokonoe. "Um, may we use your kitchen before heading out?"

"What, daddy Yayoi didn't give you enough money for fast food?" With a grumble, Kokonoe nodded. "Fine. Head out of this room to the right, down the stairs, take the third hallway to the left, make your way to…"

Sighing, Kokonoe shook her head and reached into her desk. The drawer produced a small, flat object. At the push of a button, a hologram projected from it, displaying the laboratory in its entirety. "Here. A map. Good luck with your mission, you two."

* * *

><p>"…Okay. I can't make heads or tails out of any of these devices." Such was the quandary of Tsubaki, a life-long user of Ars Magus, in a kitchen full of scientifically-operated machines. "Let's just have sandwiches, okay Nu?"<p>

"Okay!" Just as Kokonoe had said, Nu was fine now; the blurring agony of her headache following the procedure was but a memory. Despite her agreeing to Tsubaki's proposal, she poked around at the various machines. With the push of a button, scalding hot brown liquid poured from one's nozzle. Nu eeped and backed away. "Um, but…what's our mission, Tsubaki? Nu's excited!"

"We are to track down Hakumen of the Six Heroes and…well, basically get him onto Kokonoe's side, I guess." As Tsubaki pulled bread from a cabinet, she scowled. All this, for _his_ sake. Her hand trembled at the thought. "However, the main purpose of this is so he won't kill Ragna the Bloodedge, apparently. According to Kokonoe, he's…valuable in the battle against Terumi, not that it excuses his crimes to any degree."

"…Oh. Okay." Although distraught by the thought, Nu pretended to keep her interest primarily on the various gadgets. A glass tube with blades at the bottom caught her attention. "…Nu doesn't think Ragna was always a meanie."

"I very much doubt he was. However…" Tsubaki turned a soft look on Nu, although seeing Nu stick a strawberry into the machine. "…You're referring to knowing him before, aren't you?"

"Nu doesn't remember."

"…Right. Still, it sounds like you did, and that he was agreeable at the time. I have to wonder-"

In the middle of Tsubaki's sentence, Nu poked a button and the machine activated. The blades at the bottom reduced the strawberry to goop with a loud whirr. With a louder eep than before, Nu jabbed at the button until it shut off and turned to Tsubaki, eye large and apologetic. "…Sorry."

It was all Tsubaki could do to not erupt into laughter. Sides hurting from the effort of stifling her giggles, she grinned at her friend. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Okies." Though Nu still tried to make herself as small as possible, her curiosity was hardly quelled. She scampered over to a nearby refrigerator and scanned its contents. "Um, you were saying something, Tsubaki?"

"Oh, never mind. I've forgotten, and I doubt it was anything important. Oh, and if you could make some sort of fruit drink from that, please." However, Tsubaki sighed. "Just for the record, however…I doubt I will actually fight Hakumen. I mean…he's a childhood hero of mine, and I personally have no qualms about him trying to slay Ragna. I'll try to talk him down, but if that fails…"

"Nu understands." After picking out random fruits from the fridge, Nu returned to the blender and stuffed all in at once. "Nu hopes we can talk Hakumen out of, like, killing Ragna and stuff. Nu…still doesn't want to see him hurt, even if he's…um…not nice." She pressed the button again. The blades started again, but only for a fraction of a second before dying. Nu cocked her head.

"Mm…" Focusing on preparing sandwiches, Tsubaki didn't look back at her friend at the brief sound. "I don't know. Maybe if we get a chance to talk to Ragna, we could shed some light on your feelings or something. Assuming he doesn't go straight for killing us again. I mean…I did wound him pretty badly there."

"Oh. Maybe." Nu pressed the button again, holding it longer. The blades fought to start up and slice through the assembled fruits, but to no avail. However, the prolonged press of the on switch forced it to continue its futile effort. Nu whined. "Tsubaki, it's not cutting."

"Huh?" Tsubaki turned around at her words. Just in time to see thick smoke jet from the blender. Her voice rose with alarm. "Nu, you should probably stop-"

With a loud thunder, the blender burst, hurling shards of glass and clumps of fruit to paint the kitchen. Nu squealed and threw herself back. Mercifully, the blades did not decide to go flying as well. As dark smoke rose through the kitchen, Nu peeked up at Tsubaki. "…Nu's not good with science."

"Nu! Are you alright?" Tsubaki raced over to kneel by her friend. Her arms wound around Nu's back and Tsubaki pulled Nu into a tight hug.

"Nu's fine." Nu sunk into the hug, heartbeat still rapid from the sudden explosion. She gave a light sniffle. "…Nu's sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Don't worry. We can…well, I guess we'll have to pay Kokonoe back for this…" Tsubaki found her fingers stroking Nu's absurdly long hair. "Here, come on. Let's…"

"…You are _shitting_ me." Kokonoe's voice sounded from the kitchen's entrance. She clutched her forehead and raced over to the ruins of her machine. "How the hell did you manage this?! What, did you force everything into it at once?"

"No, Nu only filled it like halfway! Really…" Nu clutched Tsubaki in terror, pressing herself against her friend. "Nu's sorry; Nu doesn't know how…"

"…Gah. Piece of shit probably malfunctioned. Happens all the time. Don't worry about it, I'll clean up." Shaking her head, Kokonoe turned back to them and smirked. "…Well. Don't you two look comfortable?"

"Huh?" Tsubaki shook her head with a scowl, well aware of the barb's implication. "I was just comforting Nu." She extended a hand to Nu. "Here. Let's just finish up lunch and get going, alright?"

"O-okay…" Unlike Tsubaki, the comment succeeded in flustering Nu. With a light blush, she accepted Tsubaki's hand and rose to her feet. She turned to Kokonoe and, recalling Tsubaki's preferred gesture, bowed her head. "Nu will pay you back."

"Didn't I just say not to worry about it? Geez… Also, grow a spine, that shouldn't embarrass you so damn much." Kokonoe shook her head and went over to the refrigerator. "Here, I'll get you two something to drink. Then get the hell outta here, before you make anything else go boom."


	6. Chapter 6

On a road cutting above the deadly seithr wastes below, two girls walked side by side, each clad in similar white uniforms. As they passed under what may have been a pine tree's branches before the seithr in the air took it into its thrall and twisted the vegetation, Nu turned and grinned at Tsubaki. An hour of walking without much conversation had left her quite bored. "So, um, Tsubaki. Like, what kind of stuff do you like?"

"H-huh?" The sudden question snapped Tsubaki's focus on the mission, and in its wake came momentary confusion. "Oh, um…well, I guess mostly reading and such. Fantasy type stuff and Six Heroes stories. And singing, as well."

"Um, Tsubaki?" Nu cocked her head, eye quizzical. "Nu keeps hearing about these Six Heroes people, but…"

"You…don't know them?" Tsubaki smiled at her, excitement sparking in her. "Well, then. When we get back from this mission, we can watch some of the stuff I have. To…um, get you caught up on who they are, of course."

"Okies!"

"Oh, and..." At this point, Tsubaki was unable to hide the joy building in her. "The man we are looking for is one of them. Hakumen, their leader."

"Oh! Awesome!" Nu giggled to herself, her gait transforming into a skip. "Nu can't wait to meet him! Does Tsubaki know him?"

"Kind of. We…met once, fairly recently. And he seemed…familiar with me." Smile broadening, Tsubaki turned to Nu. "How about you? What do you like, Nu?"

"Ragna." After a moment, Nu sighed and looked down, body slumping as she remembered her previous encounter with him. "…But Ragna doesn't like Nu."

"Mm…sorry for bringing that up, then." Biting her lower lip, Tsubaki reached out to squeeze Nu's shoulder and try to burn away the misery descending on her friend. As she looked back ahead, she slowed. A fork in the road awaited them. "Um, hold on a minute. I need to check the map quickly."

"Oh, okay."

Nu followed along in silence as Tsubaki led her to a fallen log and took a seat. Once seated, Tsubaki pulled out the files given to her by Kokonoe and rifled through them until she found the map of the Kazamotsu area. "Hmm…it looks like we should take the north road here. Although I have to wonder what Sir Hakumen's doing out here near Kazamotsu."

Nu giggled, covering her mouth in a half-hearted attempt to hide it. "Sir Hakumen?"

Tsubaki kept her face straight as she nodded. "Yes. I believe it to be appropriate, given his stature."

More giggling ensued. "Sounds like you've got a crush, Tsubaki!"

"I do not." Nonetheless, in the face of such sudden mirth, Tsubaki couldn't help but grin back. "I just…admire him for what he and the rest of the Six Heroes have done. Um…" Tsubaki glanced around before focusing on a knapsack at Nu's hip. "Would you like to stop here for lunch?"

"Oh! Sure." Snickering, Nu's teasing smile widened. "Did Tsubaki bring enough for_ Sir_ Hakumen, _hmm_?"

Tsubaki just rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>In a field not far from Kazamotsu, Hakumen kneeled in solemnity. His hand brushed over his armor, feeling the joints where the white shield met. Under his shoulder, the razor of split metal greeted his fingers. With a grunt, he pulled the offending shrapnel and cast it aside, to rest among other discarded brethren. Nothing so potentially impeding could be allowed to mar the Susano'o Unit.<p>

Footsteps behind him alerted him to a presence, and he wheeled around, hand on Ookami's hilt. And froze up when he saw who it was. "Tsubaki…"

"Sir Hakumen." Suppressing her grin the best she could, Tsubaki gave him a nod and stepped closer to him, Nu trailing along at her side. "It's been a while."

"Like, hi!" Nu grinned wide and waved. "Nu's Nu!"

Hakumen stared at the Murakumo Unit, the same one from so long ago. And he wondered just what twisted force of fate had drawn Tsubaki to the girl who had slayed her so brutally in another lifetime. "…Why are you with such a demon?"

"H-huh?" Nu cocked her head, confused. "Tsubaki isn't a demon… Tsubaki, I thought you said he liked you."

"I…don't think he's referring to me." Uneasy, Tsubaki drifted in front of Nu, a no doubt vain attempt to shield her lest the hero attack. "What do you mean by that, Sir Hakumen?"

"Do you realize what manner of abomination that girl is?" Because there was no way Tsubaki could know what happened an entire world ago. "Or what manner of threat she possesses? You would do well to avoid contact with her."

A shake of her head, and Tsubaki's glare remained resolute. "Yes, I know what Nu is. However, rest assured that she is no threat to anyone but our enemies. Kokonoe of Sector Seven has removed Terumi's programming of her."

"…So you have met the grimalkin, and you know of Hazama. Very well. Tell me, Tsubaki Yayoi. Whose side do you stand on? The Librarium, or those who stand against the monster known as Yuuki Terumi?"

"Both." It was all Tsubaki could do to not step back from Hakumen; 'intimidating' didn't do him justice. "I aim to cast Terumi to justice, and in doing so, free the Librarium of his shackles."

"Hmph. Very well." His eyeless gaze turned to Nu, who shriveled back. "However…"

"I will not stand down in regards to Nu."

"Nor will I. That girl has committed atrocities which you should hope to remain oblivious to. I cannot allow you to endanger yourself by traveling with such a demon."

"Nu's not evil!" Nu glared at him, stepping out from behind Tsubaki. "Stop saying such mean things about Nu…"

"Your act will not fool me, abomination." And to the girls' horror, Hakumen drew Ookami. "You bring naught but destruction. A weapon of the devil himself…I cannot allow you to exist. I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world and cleanse them in the fires of destruction! I am Hakumen! The end has come!"

"…My apologies, Sir Hakumen." Although seeing the man she had admired since childhood turn so violent toward her friend crushed Tsubaki and left her with a knotted stomach, now was not the time for despair. Not with Nu's life on the line. She summoned Izayoi, blossoming over her Zero Squadron uniform to replace it with the weapon's white regalia. She held the vermillion blade idly at her side and summoned her shield up to her other arm. "But if you aim to harm Nu, then you will have to fight me as well."

Hakumen visibly recoiled at her words, but caught his composure an instant later.

"Lux Sanctus: Murakumo, online." Voice robotic, Nu summoned her own skin-tight armor and massive blade, which splintered into forearm and leg plates and a set of eight hovering blades. "Analyzing target…target threat level is SS. Initiating termination protocol."

"…I have one more question, Tsubaki." Even as Hakumen shifted into a low stance, blade extended far behind him. "Why have you sought me out in the first place?"

Tsubaki scowled, hands clammy. Her mind struggled to wrap itself around the truth; that this was _the_ Hakumen. The one who had led the Six Heroes to victory over the Black Beast, the one she had grown up wishing to emulate. And he had given her no choice but to fight him, for the sake of Nu. "An agreement with Kokonoe. In return for her helping Nu, she asked me to bring you back to her lab."

"…I will not return to the grimalkin. Come, Tsubaki. Show me your conviction…your justice. And you as well, abomination." And with that, he shot forward, a dashing jab with his hilt aimed at Nu. The girl jetted backwards in the blink of an eye, and Tsubaki dashed in for a nervous slash of her sword. With the flat of Ookami, Hakumen batted her away and cut through a pair of flying swords Nu had launched at him. The swords shattered and blossomed into great voids. "Weak. If you do not come at me with your full strength, Tsubaki, you shall not prevail."

"Attack: ineffective. Adjusting stratagem." Nu crouched down and sent a spinning blade along the ground, eating through the seithr-poisoned soil at Hakumen. The white-clad warrior jumped back, and a pair of swords struck him from behind. "Terminating."

"Grk…" Clutching her side, Tsubaki stepped back and crouched down. The pages of her book fluttered as light gathered around her, absorbing into Izayoi. Still unable to believe this was really happening, she watched as Hakumen leapt at Nu, dodging her set of swords and, to her horror, cleaving at her with a massive cut. Her hovering blades just barely managed to come up in time to deflect Ookami. "Nu! Aequum!"

She launched forward with a shield charge, wreathed in the light she had just drawn to herself. The attack struck Hakumen and buckled him. Tsubaki turned and prepared for a slash, her short dagger shifting into a full claymore. The blade came around and sent Hakumen bouncing away. "Sir Hakumen. Please…"

"I will not stand down. Not even for you. Empty Sky Form…" Hakumen lifted his blade to the sky, its steel shimmering in the sunlight. Inwardly, he sighed, hoping Tsubaki could forgive him for this. Although with how attached she seemed to the girl, he doubted it. Maybe he shouldn't… No. He could not stray from his path. "Summer's Ad-"

The moment of hesitation cost him as a pair of blades stalled his attack, the blinding white light gathered around his sword dissipating into thin air. And another, albeit weaker, shield bash from Tsubaki followed. He raised a forearm and caught her follow-up, a wing extending from her book, on a shield of light. The impact stunned her, allowing him to a moment to retaliate. And against all logic of combat, he simply shoved her off to the side and hopped toward Nu. The Murakumo Unit dashed several paces back in response. "Target damage: negligible. Current stratagem inefficient. Assuming Luna Forma."

A halo of purple light crested her head and she sent two more blades up at an angle, anticipating Hakumen's second attempt at coming down from above. These swords, thinner and faster, struck like bullets, far more forceful than her previous ones. As Hakumen toppled to the ground, more blades followed, peppering him and keeping him airborne long enough for Nu to deliver a charging attack, punctured by a spinning blow from her myriad of blades. She perked up as Tsubaki finished building up light in her weapon. "All yours, Tsubaki!"

"Right." Tsubaki cursed under her breath. Yes, this man was a hero to her…but she had to put that aside, if just for now. Nu's life depended on it, so there was no excuse not to. She leapt up to intercept Hakumen's descent and lashed out with cut from Izayoi. With a grunt, he turned and caught it on Ookami. Tsubaki snarled; no, she was _not _going to let this opportunity pass. As they fell, she struck again, but this time the seithr in the air twisted to her beck and she dashed through the air at an angle, her blocked attack dragging Hakumen up with her.

They descended again, but Tsubaki spun around and delivered a heavy blow with Izayoi, in the form of a mace. The hefty weapon crushed Hakumen's side and launched him down. Before he could hope to recover, Tsubaki dove after him, winged by her book and topped by the sharpened crest of her hat. The light she had built flowed into Hakumen and sent him skidding back along the ground. Another shield charge took her past him, and she turned and brought her sword down as he tried to rise. "Sir Hakumen, this is—"

"Winter's Riposte." Again wrested with the vain hope of forgiveness, Hakumen caught the attack on a massive red shield of ethereal light and lunged forward. The hilt of Ookami buried itself deep in Tsubaki's gut and she doubled over, eyes wide. "…My apologies, Tsubaki."

"Haku…men…" With that, Tsubaki dropped to the ground, paralyzed by pain.

"Tsubaki!" Nu launched a set of blades at Hakumen, pushing him back. "Target damage: minimal. Minimal…"

"Hmph. Forfeit to your fate, abomination." Hakumen dashed forward again, slipping by more blades. Finally in range again, he drew his sword back and lunged forward. Ookami's tip caught Nu's frantic back dash and doubled her over. "Begone, demon! Tsubaki!" And a spinning slash came from above, Ookami eating into her should and bouncing her off the ground. "Hotaru!"

"Re-oriented. Calamity Sword." Before the spin kick could strike her, Nu summoned the full might of Murakumo, a massive sword that cleaved down and smashed Hakumen to the ground. "Terminating." The sword rose back up and swung down on his prone body, driving him further into the soil.

For several seconds, she stared down at him, analyzing. Had she won…? And without warning, he rolled back and onto his feet, sword held upright before him. "This battle ends now. Empty Sky True Form: Light of Judgment!"

He glowed as power surged through the Susano'o Unit, the very earth seeming to tremble in the wake of his might. A light glow lit him as he raised his sword overhead. "Begone!"

And far too quick for Nu to dodge, he slashed straight downward, sending a massive wave of energy her way. The blades of light cut deep into Nu, dropping her to her knees as they dragged her backwards. "Damage…severe…I…"

"Hmph. So it ends." Hakumen lifted the blade again, the same attack building up. "I hope you can—"

"Releasing all restrictions!" The sudden shout made Hakumen look back, just as Tsubaki launched forward with another charge. As Hakumen stumbled, Tsubaki's momentum took her into a rising slash with Izayoi, almost the size of her entire body, that sent him into the air. She took after him and sent him back down with another dive bomb. "I won't let you hurt her anymore."

"Tsubaki, you fool." Hakumen rose to his feet and growled. For her to utilize Izayoi in such a way… "Have you any idea what the toll of your weapon is?"

"Of course I do. And it's one I'll gladly pay to protect Nu." Tsubaki crouched, preparing to attack once more. She had very little time in this form, she knew. If she couldn't end this now, she doubted she would get another chance. "You asked me to show you my justice. This is it. To cast evil to its fate…and to protect those I hold dear to me."

Her book launched an orb of light, and she dashed straight through it. The ball collected around her, adding to the force of the attack by magnitudes. Even as Hakumen caught the charge on another crimson shield, the light of her attack collected around him, paralyzing him. He turned and tried to deliver a kick to Tsubaki's gut. However, she rose through the air, slashing skyward and summoning a spear of light to ascend with her. The strike dragged Hakumen with it, where Tsubaki struck with her book and summoned forth another orb. A dive followed, and once more, her attack was amplified by the ball she had released. Even after Hakumen bounced off the ground, the aura kept him in place off the ground while Tsubaki drew Izayoi back, building up the last vestiges of her weapon's power around it. "Decus!"

The sword came around, enlarging before it slashed Hakumen and sent him flying. Watching from the ground, Nu created a wormhole before her. "Destruction."

Hundreds of small knives flew out at Hakumen, peppering him and knocking him back until they pinned him to a tree. Once the attack ended, he dropped to the ground on his knees. And, a moment later, drew himself back to his feet. "…You would put yourself at such a risk for her, Tsubaki?"

…It couldn't be. Even after all of that…? Unable to remain on her feet any longer from the ache in her stomach, Tsubaki dropped to her knees but nodded. "I will not stand down for anyone in this matter. Not even you, Sir Hakumen."

"…Very well." And to Tsubaki's amazement, Hakumen sheathed Ookami. "I will never trust such a creation. However…I will trust your judgment, Tsubaki Yayoi. Pray that it is accurate, for her sake."

"S…sir Hakumen?"

"I shall speak with the grimalkin, as per your wish. However, I refuse to work alongside such a woman." Hakumen turned and strode away. "Farewell, Tsubaki."

"…Sir Hakumen…" But he did not turn back, and Tsubaki sighed, looking down. Now, however, was not the time to contemplate him. She turned to Nu, lying face down in a slow-building pool of blood. With a gasp, she raced over to her friend. "Nu! Are you…?"

"Damage to unit is severe…but Nu will live…" Nu did not resist as Tsubaki flipped her onto her back—not that she could think of doing so anyways in her state. "…Why is Hakumen so mean…?"

"I…I don't know. I'm so sorry, Nu." Tears burned Tsubaki's eyes as she laid her hands on Nu's sliced stomach and muttered something beneath her breath. Her hands glowed with the healing Ars and the myriad miniature gashes in Nu's skin inched closed.

"Mm…it's okay, Tsubaki." Nu closed her eyes, letting Tsubaki just work in peace. After a couple minutes, she sighed. "…Why does everyone hate Nu?"

"I…everyone's wrong about you, Nu. And I don't know why everyone thinks such things about you." Finished with her healing, Tsubaki scooped up Nu and trudged away from the sanguine pool. She didn't get far before the pain of her bruised gut dropped her to her knees, but at least Nu was no longer soaking in her own blood. "Here…let's just rest for a while, okay? If…if you need anything from me…"

"Okay. Thanks, Tsubaki." And to Tsubaki's surprise, Nu crawled closer to lay her head in Tsubaki's lap. Before Tsubaki could remark on it, Nu said, "It's…because of what the old Nu did, isn't it?"

"Hm?" On second thought, maybe it would just be best to let Nu stay like that. On instinct more than anything, Tsubaki's hand came down to run through Nu's hair.

"Ragna and Hakumen both said…things. That made it sound like I did horrible things before, but Nu doesn't remember any of it. The old Nu…must have been horrible." She snuggled against the light petting of Tsubaki's hand. "Nu is not going to be that old Nu. I am going to prove to everyone I'm…I'm not like she was. Then maybe I'll stop causing trouble for Tsubaki."

"Huh?" Tsubaki shook her head. "No, you're not causing trouble…"

"It was Nu's fault that Tsubaki had to fight Hakumen. And that Ragna attacked Tsubaki. And that Hazama…"

"No, please. I…don't blame you for any of that. Really." With a smile, Tsubaki resumed petting her friend, trying to comfort her. "You're a good person, Nu. And one day, people will stop assuming you're not. I promise."

"Mm…" Eyes closed, Nu smiled. "…Can Nu stay like this for a bit? It's comfy."

Tsubaki chuckled. "I suppose. When you're ready, we'll start heading back, okay?"

"Okay." Nu looked up at her. "Um…does Tsubaki remember any of the Six Heroes stories?"

"A…few." More like about a half dozen memorized, and countless others well enough to recite. "Why?"

"Nu wants to know what Hakumen's really supposed to be like. Could Tsubaki tell Nu a story about him?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Happy Turkey Day, have an update. Also, I have a Ragna/Tsubaki three-shot in the works (yes, I know, so much variety from me). That will be up shortly.**

* * *

><p>At the first splash of rain on her nose, Tsubaki stirred. With a yawn, she stretched her arms and looked down at the weight on her legs. She smiled. Nu lay asleep before her, head resting in Tsubaki's lap. However, with the oncoming storm, perhaps it would be best to put an end to the angelic scene. She reached out and tapped Nu's shoulder. "Nu. Wake up."<p>

"…Huh?" Nu looked up with an almighty yawn and blinked into Tsubaki's gaze. "…Oh. Morning, Tsubaki."

Unable to hold in a chuckle, Tsubaki smiled and shook her head. "It seems we kind of dozed off for a bit. We should find shelter."

"Oh! Okay." Nu pulled herself up from Tsubaki's lap, but whined as a bolt of pain laced down her back. "…Nu hurts."

A concerned frown etched Tsubaki's lips and she placed a hand on Nu's shoulders. Right. She may have healed the gash in Nu's gut, and thus the main threat to her life, but Hakumen had dealt far more than that to the girl. Gently, she lowered Nu onto her stomach and examined her. "Here, I'll patch you up as well as I can."

"Mm…" Nu closed her eyes and allowed Tsubaki to trail her hand over her wounds. She hissed in a breath and winced as Tsubaki's fingers ran over her shoulder. Looking up, she gave a light whimper, a request to fix what ailed her.

"Your shoulder?" Tsubaki shifted over, straddling Nu's waist for a better position. She leaned forward and drifted her hand over Nu's shoulder blade, its digits aglow. After a short time, she sighed. "…My apologies, Nu. I…don't think I can project my Ars through your bodysuit."

"Oh!" Nu muttered to herself, and the light blue outfit simply phased out of existence, leaving her stark naked beneath Tsubaki. She turned to look back at Tsubaki. "This should help, right?"

"Ah…um…yes." Pink tinting her cheeks, Tsubaki closed her eyes and breathed deep to try and regain her composure. She again leaned forward, inspecting the green-purple bruise that ran from Nu's shoulder to halfway down her spine. Her hands came down and ran over it, fingers massaging the soft skin on either side of the blight. As her hand ran up Nu's back, Tsubaki chanted under her breath. She rubbed up and down Nu, projecting seithr to heal her friend as well as she could. "How does that feel, Nu?"

"Mm…good." Nu closed her eyes and beamed. "Tsubaki's really good at this." When she looked back, she giggled a little. "What's with the blush, Tsubaki?"

"Huh?" When faced with having to acknowledge her embarrassment, Tsubaki only burned brighter. The gentle stroke of her hand faltered a moment. "Don't read too much into it; you simply caught me by surprise."

"Mm?" Nu's eye lit up with mischief as she gave Tsubaki a teasing smirk. She propped herself up on her elbows and turned a bit to look her in the eye. "Are you _sure_ about that?"

"…You're making it difficult to treat your wounds."

"Aww…okay." Still smiling to herself, Nu lowered herself back to the grass and allowed Tsubaki to work. After about a minute, she sighed. "Um…Nu's sorry if I made Tsubaki uncomfortable. Nu was just joking."

"It's fine, Nu." Tsubaki granted her a warm smile. Although the Ars ceased, she continued massaging Nu's back, kneading her muscles to relax them. "Are you feeling better?"

"Mm! Thanks!" Nu purred, eyes closing. "This feels so good…"

"Mm. No problem, Nu." Although Tsubaki closed her eyes as well, her mind churned. According to Kokonoe, Ragna was instrumental to Terumi's defeat. Somehow; the last thing Tsubaki wanted to do was admit the idea had credence, but given how little she knew about everything that was going on, she figured she might as well do so. And Ragna was apparently wandering around. Where anything could befall him.

A tool of that importance shouldn't be allowed to be left in such danger.

She opened her eyes and gave Nu's shoulder a tap. The Murakumo turned with a sleepy look in her eye and murmured out, "Hmm…? What is it, Tsubaki?"

"When we're done here, we're going to go find Ragna the Bloodedge."

* * *

><p>Tsubaki scowled as she stood before the steel gate into Kokonoe's laboratory. The return to Wadatsumi had been quick and uneventful, sans Nu offering to utilize her swords as dowsing rods to find Ragna. Tsubaki prayed the girl was joking with something that absurd. But now, as she gazed upon the wide-open laboratory, its inside barren, she found herself at a loss. "…Well. Seems like Kokonoe had to pack up shop here. Um, do you have any idea what we should do now, Nu?"<p>

"Um…Nu doesn't…" Nu cocked her head and blinked as an idea rooted itself in her. Her visor formed and covered her face. "Scanning for biosigns… scanning… 1.7 million detected within range. Scanning biosigns for Azure Grimoire…"

After a few moments, she smiled. "Match confirmed. 3 miles at 2 o'clock."

"Huh?" Tsubaki blinked. "You're certain it's Ragna?" And why hadn't Nu thought of doing that before? It would've saved a lot of time…

"Yep! It's not Nu, so it must be…" Trailing off, Nu blanched, barely perceptible due to her naturally pale skin. No, there was someone else it could be. Someone she never wanted to see again. "…Um, actually…Terumi had one, too…"

"…I see." Tsubaki closed her eyes, pondering. "Yes, that would make sense. Terumi's presence could well be what caused Kokonoe to leave so suddenly. What do you think we should do?"

Nu looked down and away with a light shiver. "…Nu really doesn't wanna run into Terumi again… But we need to find Ragna… But… Nu doesn't know."

"Mm…" After a few more moments, Tsubaki made her decision. It was not one that set her at ease, not one she wanted to follow through on, but rather one that invited disaster to befall them. Ultimately, however, it was the only conclusion she could really come to, given what may have been at stake. "…We'll follow whoever you're detecting, albeit from a distance. We will need to determine our target's identity before we're noticed. If we confirm that it's Ragna, we'll move in and confront him. Peaceably; we don't to end up fighting him again."

"And if it's Terumi?"

"We run and hope he didn't notice us." Tsubaki straightened up. "Is this acceptable for you?"

"Y…yes." Nu forced a nod, even though the prospect of meeting Terumi again unnerved her to the point of nausea. Still, she had full faith in Tsubaki. Her friend would protect her from harm, right? "Nu will track him."

"Thank you." With a reassuring smile, Tsubaki gave her a nod, a prompt to get going. "Lead the way, please."

* * *

><p>"Like, the signal's about fifty meters away. And he still hasn't moved." Nu raced along at top speed, completely unconcerned with passersby witnessing her hovering down the street. "Um…Nu hopes Ragna's alright…"<p>

"Same." Tsubaki panted as she struggled to keep up with the bolting Murakumo Unit, Zero Squadron robe disheveled. She came to a halt behind Nu in the center of a strip of stores and cafes, and glanced around. "Is he… inside?" Hopefully, if it was Ragna. The public location reduced the chances of something having befallen him.

"Yep!" After a few moments of scanning, Nu skipped along toward a small restaurant, certain the signal came from there. As Tsubaki followed along, Nu said, "Pretty sure he's here. But…um, how do we get out if it's Terumi?"

"…I don't know. Let's just be careful."

"Mm." Nu picked up speed again and glided through the glass doors into the dim restaurant. The scent of seafood and cheap wine flooded her, but she paid those sirens little mind. In short order, she scanned the tables strewn about. In a dreary corner of the building, almost too far from any of the lights to be recognized, sat her target. She grinned and turned back to Tsubaki. "Ragna's here, Tsubaki."

"I see." A weight of apprehension lifting off of Tsubaki, she followed Nu inside. No sooner had she relaxed than a new worry struck her, though; what if Ragna proved hostile? It would be entirely counterproductive to have to use force against him. Still, she had no choice but to confront him here. "Let's go."

With a gesture to follow to Nu, Tsubaki strode through the rowdy patrons. However, a hand took her by the wrist, and she turned to see a waiter scowling at her. "Please wait to be seated, ma'am."

Tsubaki jerked her wrist away and shook her head. "My apologies, but I'm here on official NOL business." Hardly the truth, but… "If you'll excuse us. Come on, Nu."

Nu nodded and glided forward, ready to give the mental prompt for Murakumo's summoning at a moment's notice. "Okies."

As they approached Ragna's table, the Grim Reaper looked up. And scowled as soon as he realized who came to invade his solitude, a hand drifting to a scar in his gut. "What the hell are you two doing here?!" His other hand clasped Blood-Scythe's grip.

While every head in the café turned towards them, Tsubaki flinched at the roar, but did not waver in her approach. She came to a stop at his table and pulled up a seat, beckoning for Nu to join her. "We're here to speak with you, Reaper. Rest assured, we mean you no harm."

"Yeah!" Nu gave a firm nod as she sat down across from him as well. "Tsubaki said we needed to, like, find you and stuff, so…"

"So you decided to crash my lunch, huh? Tch." Ragna leaned forward, hatred in his narrowed eyes. "Well, whatever. Say whatever shit you need to and get out of here."

"It's…unfortunately not that simple." Tsubaki folded her hands on the table, and matched his stare. "We have been working with a scientist in Sector Seven—"

"Kokonoe?"

"Yes."

"She's nuts." Ragna took a sip of whatever he'd ordered to drink. "Go on."

"…Anyways. She indicated that you are somehow vital to Terumi's defeat."

Ragna blinked. "…And why would a good little soldier like you give a shit about something like that? What, you want to protect your precious captain? …And how do you know that he's Terumi, anyways?"

"I'll spare the details and just say he's proven absolutely horrific to Nu and I, to the point that I don't believe he's suited for a commanding role. Furthermore, he's a traitor to the Six Heroes."

"So…" With a sigh, Ragna looked down. If this chick really was against Terumi, he wasn't going to complain. But… "So, because he's an utter dick, you want him gone. Is Nu in on this as well?"

Nu nodded. "Yes. Hazama is mean."

"Understatement of the day there." Another sip, an annoyed roll of the eyes. "So, what do you want with me?"

Tsubaki remained cool, composed even as Ragna's irritation increased. "We need you to come with us, to keep you out of danger. If you, of all people, are actually a key to defeating Terumi…"

Ragna's mouth hung open for a moment as he fixed Tsubaki with a wide, incredulous stare. A choked noise escaped his throat before a harsh laugh barked over the clamor of the crowd. "Are you fucking serious? You idiots, protect me? What the hell makes you think that _I _need a goddamn babysitter?"

"The fact that I managed to stab you in the gut before, and could have killed you right there if I so chose."

Ragna's laughter died a very quick death. "…Oh, shut the hell up. Somehow, I don't think using Izayoi like that was exactly good for you."

"No, but that should break any façade of invincibility you might wear." After receiving no response other than a deep glare from Ragna, Tsubaki allowed herself a small smirk. "Anyways. We can't afford to allow anything to happen to you. So I figure the best way to ensure your safety is for someone to keep an eye on you. In case you end up in over your head again."

Ragna slammed a fist down, teeth bared in his snarl. "I was not goddamn—"

"My apologies, I'll stop with such comments."

"You'd damn well better."

"Come on, Ragna!" Nu perked up. "Join us! It'll be fun!"

"Like hell it would. And besides." Ragna jabbed a finger an inch from Tsubaki's nose. "What makes you think I'm gonna trust a Wing of Justice and a sadistic sword girl?"

"Um…" Nu raised a hand, tentative and shy.

"Yeah."

"Nu's a Wing of Justice, too…"

"You mean Tsubaki's dragging your ass with her in her Zero Squadron crap, because there's no way in hell you've actually been indoctrinated into the Wings." After pausing to down the rest of his drink, Ragna leaned forward and snarled. "Well, you have your answer. Piss off already, unless you have a death wish."

Tsubaki pursed her lips, hand on Izayoi's hilt. That sure escalated in a hurry. "Sorry, but—"

"But nothing." Ragna stood to full height and edged his sword out. "Get out of my way, or you'll regret it."

By now, the once-raucous restaurant had fallen deathly silent in anticipation of a fight, a burst of excitement to break the monotony. Tsubaki ground her teeth, needing to make a decision _this damn second_. However, a sniffle broke out from her side and she turned to its source. Nu pouted up at Ragna, eye wide and tearful, lips quivering. "…Why is Ragna being so mean? Nu and Tsubaki just want to help…"

Ragna gave her a deadpan look. "That shit ain't gonna work on me. Don't even bother."

In an affront to all sense of physical limitations, Nu's eye somehow widened further, and she sniffed. "But…but…"

"But nothing. Get lost."

"Meanie." Nu crossed her arms and scowled. "Um…like…come with us, and Tsubaki will lower your bounty!"

Ragna and Tsubaki exchanged disbelieving looks, and the former shook his head. "You're an idiot."

"I believe that term better applies to you." A gale blew the scent of roses through the restaurant, and in the blink of an eye, a youthful girl with long twintails reclined in the seat beside Ragna, teacup in hand. "One must wonder what malady of the brain would lead you to dine with two of your enemies, unless they knew of your lack of foresight, and even intelligence."

Ragna jumped at her sudden appearance and slid as far away as he could. "That's the best you got, bunny-leech? Your tongue's gotten dull."

"Is that so? I'm afraid I must have blunted it conversing with Professor Kokonoe. Rest assured, you have done little to affect it." Rachel took a sip of tea, eyes closed as though pondering some deep question. "Now. Please do tell me why you have seen fit to dine with Miss Yayoi and a Murakumo Unit."

With a snort, Ragna leaned on an elbow. "I'm not. They popped in and started babbling about keeping an eye on me or some shit. Because they think I'm important to killing Terumi or something. So they appointed themselves my babysitter, and I'm trying to tell them to piss off already."

"I see." Rachel turned to Tsubaki and inclined her head. "You have my gratitude; you would be ill-advised to leave this feral beast of a man to his own designs. One cannot begin to fathom—"

"Oh, shut the hell up, rabbit."

"Um…" Tsubaki fumbled for a reply, still trying to process Rachel's sudden appearance. "You're welcome…?" With a quick shake of her head, Tsubaki cleared her confusion and straightened up. "Um, my apologies, but may I ask exactly who you are?"

"Why, certainly." After taking another sip of tea, Rachel graced Tsubaki and Nu with a rare smile. "I am Rachel Alucard. And you are quite right in believing Ragna to be vital to our efforts against Terumi. However, allow me to assure you that you need not tail him. I have my eye on him at all times; he is scarcely in any true danger."

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Alucard." Although the girl's crimson eyes unnerved her, Tsubaki gave Rachel a nod while she wondered just how Rachel knew who she was. "However, I must disagree with the notion that you keeping watch is serviceable. Just a few days ago, I could well have taken his life without interference."

As Ragna grumbled to himself, Rachel smirked and let out a light giggle. "I understand your concern quite well. However, allow me to assure you that such danger is nigh impossible to repeat. Interference from the Izayoi kept me from realizing the danger Ragna was in, until it was too late. However, as you possess the only weapon of such nature, Miss Yayoi, I daresay the odds of phenomena blinding me from this stray dog's peril are quite low. Wouldn't you agree?"

"…I see." Tsubaki nodded, although inside she sighed. She would admittedly feel much more secure about this if Ragna would just consent to joining her and Nu. However, all her ammo for her argument had been destroyed by Rachel's arrival, so now all that was left was to accept it and ask Ragna's pardon for wasting his time. "My apol—"

"Aww…" Nu feigned a sniff, once more putting on the cutest face she could muster. "But Nu wants Ragna to come with us…"

With a roll of his eyes and a grumble, Ragna snarled at her. "No, goddammit."

"Oh? What is this?" Rachel cocked her head as she surveyed Nu, wearing a light frown. "You are a Murakumo Unit, are you not? Designation Nu-13?"

"Y-yes…" Façade breaking under the question, Nu looked down and to the side to avoid Rachel's gaze. "Um, like, why?"

"How is it possible you are acting in such a way?"

"Oh…" Nu deflated, hunching over and crossing her arms over her chest in a primal defensive gesture. "You don't think Nu's a person either, do you?"

"On the contrary."

"Huh?" Nu's head shot up, her eye wide. "You…?"

"While I admit it is rare for a Murakumo to shed her programming in such a way, I know it to not be impossibility. Or perhaps it is a result of the eternal march of technology; it would explain why only the 12th, and now 13th, Units have done so." Once more, Rachel closed her eyes and sipped her tea. "Miss Yayoi. Miss Nu. I must ask of your loyalty."

"My loyalty to the NOL will never falter." Tsubaki stared down Rachel with conviction. "However, I will not allow Terumi to taint it any longer. I, and I presume Nu as well, am quite willing to fight against him."

Nu nodded. "Nu wants him gone."

"Very well." Rachel stood up and looked over them. "We have an ally in Iwatsuchi. I would like to send you to him. Although he holds high rank within the Librarium, I assure you he will mean you no ill will."

With a harsh snort, Ragna gave Tsubaki a nasty mockery of a smirk. "He'll be trying to get in your pants, though. Just a heads-up."

A gust of wind surged through the restaurant, lifted up Ragna's drink and dumped it on his head. "Please keep your vulgar mouth shut." Satisfied that she had silenced Ragna, Rachel offered Tsubaki and Nu a small smile. "Meanwhile, I shall continue to keep a vigilant eye on this loathsome creature. Is this acceptable?"

Tsubaki and Nu glanced each other and, coming to a mutual decision, exchanged nods. Tsubaki rose and said, "Very well. As long as you can keep an eye on Ragna, we'll depart as soon as possible."


	8. Chapter 8

The streets of Iwatsuchi bustled with their usual afternoon crowds. So busy were the lanes that few noticed when a dark rift in space opened in an alleyway to eject two women. Fewer still gave it much mind; who knew what strange experiments the NOL conducted behind their backs? Nu skipped out into the streets, gazing around. "Ooh! Tsubaki! That restaurant looks good!"

"…Nu, we literally just ate." Tsubaki chuckled as she followed along at a hurried pace to catch up to her excited partner. She drew out a piece of paper given to her by Rachel and looked over it. "We need to find whoever Rachel sent us here to… oh. Him. Alright then."

"Huh?" Nu turned and bolted back to Tsubaki's side to look over the paper in curiosity. "Who is it, Tsubaki? One of your friends?"

"Kagura Mutsuki. I suppose you could call him that." Tsubaki smiled a little and pocketed the note. "I've known him since childhood. I wasn't aware that he was allies to a group opposed to the Librarium, however. I… might have a few questions for him."

"Ohh, okay." Nu cocked her head up at Tsubaki. "Should we get going? Nu really wants to meet him!"

"Sure. Although, um…" Tsubaki averted her gaze. "You remember what Ragna's last… comment was?"

"About how Kagura would, like, try to get in our pants and junk?" Nu's light smile and excited eyes didn't shift in the least. "Nu will sword him if he tries."

"Ah… ha ha…" Tsubaki took a small step back from Nu, failing to hold in a nervous laugh and completely unsure if Nu was serious. "I… would… rather you not do that, regardless of how perverse he may be."

"Okay. Nu won't then." Nu skipped along, every bit as giddy as before. "So, what's this Kagura guy like and stuff? How does Tsubaki know him? Ooh, are you two dating? Are you even dating anyone right now? Nu hasn't seen you with any guys at all. Except for Hazama. Nu hates him."

"Ah…" Confronted with such a barrage of Nu's stream of consciousness, it took Tsubaki a few moments to think through everything she had to answer. A light blush tinged her cheeks as, just for a second, her thoughts turned to Jin, but she shook it off. "Kagura… hm. He's an absolute womanizer, yes, but he's also kind and an able leader. If he truly is conspiring against the Librarium, then he could well present a greater danger to it than Ragna; he is that strong. I know him from Duodecim meetings when I was younger; he is the current head of the Mutsuki family, you see, and he took quite a shining to me and Jin back then. No, we're not dating, and I wouldn't date someone ten years older than me anyways. And as dating would interfere with my duties as a Wing of Justice, no, I'm not at the moment."

"A damn shame, that." A smooth voice sounded from behind them. "You're too pretty to be single, Tsubaki. Why don't we go out to a nice restaurant tonight? Just the two of us."

Resisting the urge to bury her face in a palm, Tsubaki wheeled around to force a glare at the man resting against a nearby wall, an utter behemoth of a sword strapped across his back. "While I appreciate the offer, Kagura, I would only accept in a friendly setting, rather than a romantic one."

"Why? Too old for you? We're both adults, right?" Chuckling, Kagura stepped forward and flashed a brilliant grin at the two girls. "Nice to see you again, Tsubaki. And who's this breathtaking beauty with you?"

"Hi!" Nu giggled and skipped forward. "Nu's the 13th Prime Field Device, but you can call me Nu!"

"Nu, huh? A pleasure." Kagura reached out, took her hand, and planted a kiss on the top of her hand. "You are truly a unique beauty, my ivory flower. Would you care to join me for dinner tonight?"

"Kagura." Tsubaki closed her eyes and scowled, while Nu broke into hysterical giggles. "One, you used that exact same line on one of Jin's cousins. Two, we have far more important matters to discuss than your usual drivel."

"Drivel? Why so cold, Tsubaki?" Releasing Nu's hand, Kagura smirked at Tsubaki. "But yeah, I guess we could head back to the outpost here. If Rachel sent you two, it must be important. Come on; let's get out of this dirty street."

* * *

><p>The outpost proved to be a tiny, cramped barrack on the very outskirts of Iwatsuchi; maybe a single full squadron of soldiers could be stationed within, and quite uncomfortably at that. Nu and Tsubaki brushed against each other as they followed Kagura through the cramped, drab gray hallway. At the far end of the chilly corridor, Kagura pulled open a heavy door into a small office, a bed far too nice for such a place waiting in a corner of the room. He slumped into a cushy black chair and indicated a pair of seats for his guests. "Well, we got a room open here, so make yourselves at home. As much as you can, anyway; beds aren't exactly nice or anything. Although mine's available to either of you two, of course."<p>

As Nu broke into giggles, Tsubaki rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We'll pass on sleeping with you, thank you very much. But for now, I have some questions for you, Colonel Mutsuki. Regarding your allegiance."

The temperature in the room dropped a full ten degrees from Tsubaki's frosty tone. Nu's laughter ground to a nervous halt, and the smirk disappeared from Kagura's lips. With a lazy motion, the colonel sat up and leaned forward, elbows propped on the desk to rest his chin on his hands. "You haven't changed at all, have you, Tsubaki? Well, anyways. I'm not an enemy of the Librarium."

"Is that so?" Tsubaki leaned forward as well, meeting his stare with her own of laser intensity. "So may I ask why we were sent to you by those opposed to the Librarium?"

"Um, Tsubaki?" Nu nudged her friend. "Maybe he's just…"

"I'm honestly wondering that myself." Kagura straightened up and crossed his arms. This could get bad real fast if Tsubaki was still dead loyal to the NOL. "I have no idea what Rachel's playing at here, but there's gotta be something that you're after. Something that compromises your loyalty to the NOL, unless Rachel was just being… well, Rachel. So, may I ask what it is?" He smirked and winked in Nu's direction. "Already winning you over, Nu baby?"

Nu shook her head and responded in a flat, robotic tone. "Negative. Nu thinks you're silly. But you're funny, so it's okay."

As Kagura gaped, dumbstruck, Tsubaki heaved a sigh. "Could you please refrain from flirting for five minutes? Anyways, I'm seeking to punish a higher-up within the Librarium who has been abusing his power to harass his subordinates, including Nu here. Captain Hazama of Intelligence, a corrupt official who deserves to be brought to justice… as well as being the traitor to the Six Heroes known as Terumi. Now. What exactly is your reason for opposing the Librarium?"

"Terumi? You're crazy if you think you can take him." Kagura shook his head. "Well, anyways, I'm doing kinda the same thing as you, just on a higher scale."

"I have no intention of fighting Terumi myself; rather, I am going to ensure Ragna the Bloodedge is successful in slaying him." Tsubaki's scowl deepened. "And on what scale are you rebelling?"

Well. No getting out of this. "The peaceable usurpation of the current Imperator Librarius, as she is allied with Terumi."

Silence followed, and then Tsubaki drew her blade. "What do you mean? You had better have an explanation for such claims, Colonel Mutsuki."

"Exactly what I said; the Imperator, Terumi, and Relius Clover are all working together for… well, whatever reason. Heck, I'm pretty sure Terumi and Relius were the ones that planted her at her position. But like I said, my revolution is going to be peaceful. I already have half of the Duodecim on my side; once I convince the rest, we will dethrone the current Imperator and a new one of our choosing will take her place."

"The new one being you?" Tsubaki closed her eyes and spat. "I never took you for the power-hungry type, Kagura."

"Whoa, hey! No, it wouldn't be me." Kagura raised his hands defensively with a wavering chuckle. "I mean, really, what would I do with that kind of power? Make all female officers wear miniskirts as their uniforms?"

"That sounds entirely plausible."

"…True. But my point stands; I have no interest in total power." Slumping back, Kagura sighed. "Look. Tsubaki. Trust me, all right? You know me; I'm not one to lie to you."

Tsubaki fell silent, seething breaths escaping her lips. A soft hand gripped her shoulder, and she cracked an eye open to see Nu's worried expression. "…We can discuss this more later. I'd like to rest for the time being, if that's acceptable."

"Of course, Tsubaki." Kagura rose from his seat with a smile, although he maintained a tense grip on the back of his chair. His mind raced to come up with some way to convince Tsubaki of his intentions as he stepped over and held the door open for his guests. "Empty room's the third one on the left. Looking forward to talking to you ladies some more."

"Yes, I'm sure you are." Despite her sardonic tone, Tsubaki turned and smiled at Kagura. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Colonel."

"It's my pleasure, Tsubaki." Kagura tilted his head to Nu with a grin. "And you too, of course, Nu baby."

"Mm! Thanks, Kagura!" Nu grinned back, but her step was replete of its usual skip as she followed after Tsubaki. In silence, they entered the room, a chamber as drab as the rest of the outpost with a single bunk bed taking up almost half of it. Nu tapped Tsubaki on the shoulder to get her attention. "Um, Nu will take top, if Tsubaki doesn't mind."

Tsubaki shook her head with a smile. "No, that's fine. I prefer it like that, anyways." With that decided, she crawled onto the lower bed and laid back, eyes closing. Rustling from overhead told her that Nu had done the same. She settled in, expecting to be allowed to drift off into a nap in peace.

"…Tsubaki?"

"Hm?" Tsubaki blinked up as Nu hung her head over the edge of the upper bed, looking down at her friend as her long hair reached almost all the way down to the floor. "What is it, Nu?"

"Is Tsubaki always this stern with her friends?"

The question knifed through Tsubaki, and she found herself missing a breath. Her first instinct was to deny it entirely; of course she wasn't, she wouldn't do something like that. But, there was no real truth to that, was there? "...Justice supersedes everything else for me. I don't like to do so, but if my friends are straying from the path of righteousness, then it is my duty—as their friend—to bring them back."

"What if they don't listen to you, though? Would Tsubaki kill her friends?"

Stomach churning and face paling, Tsubaki bit her lower lip. "…I don't want to think about that. I really don't; I have been faced with the situation before, and… I… I had no idea what I was supposed to do."

"…Nu's sorry for asking, but… was it that Noel person you mentioned before?"

"…Yes, it was." Tsubaki winced at the memory. "…If you must know, Hazama… I mean, Terumi managed to drive me into a rage against her. How he knew exactly what buttons to press for me to act the way I did, I don't know. But Noel and I fought, and thankfully, I lost. But…" Tears burned in her eyes, and she flopped around onto her belly to bury her face in the pillow. "…I don't see how she could ever forgive me for what I did. I… claim to stand for justice, but what I did there was anything but."

A soft _thump _sounded beside her, and a moment later a pair of soft, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Nu brought her into a tight squeeze. "Nu's sorry for asking about this…"

With a shake of her head, Tsubaki wiped away the lingering tears and smiled back at her friend. "No, it's fine, Nu."

"Okay. If Tsubaki says so." After releasing Tsubaki, Nu stood up and hovered back toward the door. "Um, Nu's going to, like, have a look around and stuff. I'll be back soon."

"Alright. Just please don't stray too far from here." Tsubaki turned onto her side to offer Nu a wave. Before Nu could leave, however, a thought struck Tsubaki. Stray… "Nu… um. If I ever stray from my path again…"

"Nu will knock some sense back into Tsubaki." With an overly cheery smile, Nu gave Tsubaki a nod and backed out into the hallway. "Okies, see you!"

"Alright. Be careful." Smiling as the door closed, Tsubaki snuggled back into bed, drifting off a short time later.

* * *

><p>Sharp raps on the door awoke Tsubaki an unknown measure of time later. With a deep yawn, she pulled herself up, body still heavy with fatigue, and trudged to the door. She opened it to the sight of Kagura's concerned face. "Mm? Yes, Colonel?"<p>

"Hey, Tsubaki." Kagura scowled. Not here, either. "You got any idea where Nu is?"

"Huh? Um, she said she was going to have a look around the vicinity. She said she wouldn't go too far away, though."

"…Mm. Alright, thanks." Kagura took a step back, frown deepening. "Hey, uh, Tsubaki? Could you go take a look for her, please? Sorry, I've just got a bad feeling about this."

"Sure." Tsubaki gave a firm nod, and headed for the corner of the room where Izayoi rested. "I'll be back shortly."

"Again, thanks." Kagura returned the nod and headed back toward his office.

* * *

><p>Panting, Tsubaki leaned against a wall of a small diner. An entire hour spent searching, and not one sign of Nu anywhere. Worry set in; had something happened to Nu? She shouldn't have just let her friend go wandering on her own in an unfamiliar city, especially with… Tsubaki paled. No, Hazama couldn't have gotten to Nu. That was impossible. Her fatigue melting away as adrenaline pumped through her veins, Tsubaki bolted, looking this way and that for Nu. "Nu! Where are you?"<p>

"Hi, Tsubaki!" A chirpy voice made Tsubaki jump. From a nearby bench, Nu grinned and waved, trying to summon Tsubaki over to her. "Like, is something wrong?" Nu tilted her head, grin fading. "Tsubaki looks worried."

Shaking her head, Tsubaki darted over her way, letting out a deep sigh of relief. "No, it's fine now. I was just wondering where you had gone. I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Oh! Nu was eating."

"…Again?"

"Is that a problem, Tsubaki?"

Letting a light chuckle escape her, Tsubaki took a seat beside Nu and drew her into a light hug around the shoulders. "No, of course it's not, Nu. We should probably get going, though. Kagura was looking for you."

"That will not be necessary, First Lieutenant. I shall supersede Mutsuki's command." The cold voice paralyzed them both. From around the back of the bench came Relius, face placid as ever. He looked down at the two startled girls. "I believe I ordered you to deliver routine reports concerning the 13th Prime Field Unit, Yayoi. I have come to collect."

"…Colonel Clover." Tsubaki rose to her feet, hand on Izayoi. She drifted closer to Nu, ready to protect her at a moment's notice. "My apologies, but circumstances have left me unable to follow your instructions. I have no reports to give for the time being."

"Is that so? And you're usually so dutiful, Yayoi." Relius's features hardened and he lifted his hand, fingers ready to summon Ignis with a snap. "Then report on her state now."

"Nu is…" Tsubaki closed her eyes, trying to think of how to get out of this situation as quickly as she could. If Relius was working with Hazama… She snapped her hand up in a salute. "Nu is acting in-line with all expectations of her. There have been no anomalies to report. We have engaged several foes, and she has performed admirably in all combat situations. Unfortunately, we have not succeeded in locating either Jin Kisaragi or Noel Vermillion. Sources have directed us to working with Colonel Kagura Mutsuki in our pursuit. That is all, Colonel."

For several long, anxious breaths, Relius stared straight into her eyes. A low chuckle rumbled out of the back of his throat. "Is that so? Because I have heard differently. A Prime Field Unit, masquerading as a human? How remarkable. I have also heard of your rebelliousness toward Captain Hazama. I have blocked his attempts to demote your rank, believing it may well be an isolated event; I am certain we are of similar opinion regarding Hazama. I will give you another chance, First Lieutenant. I suggest you be less transparent with your lies."

Beside Tsubaki, Nu rose to her feet as well, ready to summon Murakumo to defend herself. Tsubaki met Relius's amusement with a hard, cold stare. "Very well. I shall amend my report. Nu is acting in full accordance with all of _my_ expectations of how a person should act. There have been no anomalies to report, unless you expect nothing beyond robotic chill from her. We have engaged Ragna the Bloodedge and Hakumen in combat, and due to Nu's admirable performance, escaped those encounters with our lives. Furthermore, we encountered Kokonoe of Sector Seven, who removed the memory wipe protocol from Nu. All other information from my previous report is truthful. That is all, Colonel."

To Tsubaki's surprise, Relius's smirk did not vanish. "Thank you for your honesty, First Lieutenant. And I must say, it is quite fascinating to see how you have evolved, Unit 13… or would you rather I referred to you as Nu?"

"H-huh?" Nu blinked and backed up into the bench, baffled. "Y-yes, Nu wants to be called Nu."

All hostility melting away, Tsubaki shook her head and gaped at her commander. "…You're glad that she has developed like this, despite the possibility of insurrection?"

"Hm… do you remember our initial briefing, First Lieutenant?" Relius rubbed his chin. "I sent Nu to join in your mission, and I gave her a week for it. Did you ever wonder why I made such a decision?"

Tsubaki's eyes narrowed again. She couldn't trust this man, not for one second. "Yes, I did. I assumed it was to keep me in line, after my previous failure to take Noel's life. So what was your real purpose?"

"Hm… I thought you to be more perceptive. My reasoning is simple. While Nu may be a homunculus, that does not define her as a non-entity. I wished to see how, when brought into stimulus from a friendly entity—that would be you, Yayoi—she would develop. And it would seem she has developed into a friendly, energetic young woman; truly, a success in every way imaginable. Between her and the 12th Unit, it seems that the Murakumo project has evolved to the necessary point for my ambitions."

"Your… ambitions?" Despite hearing that Relius's wishes directly conflicted with those of Terumi, Tsubaki still ground her teeth, unwilling to lower her guard. Everything that came from Relius's mouth was too good to be true. Beside her, Nu's stare hardened as well, equally distrustful of the scientist. "May I ask what you are plotting? And why did you only give us a week together?"

"I seek a perfect being. And as glorious as Nu is, she is not quite what I desire. However, I have found my template. Soon, I shall bring such a being into this world." At Tsubaki's second question, however, he sighed. "Oh, but this is quite the tragedy. A perfect specimen, to be confined into the prison of her duty. To never truly spread her wings and develop to her full potential. Unfortunately, this experiment is at an end, and Nu must fulfill the role she was created for. She is the Sword of Izanami, and her functionality as such takes precedence over all else, else she must cease to exist."

"…Tch. I knew it. You don't actually care for her." Tsubaki drew her blade and summoned her shield to her arm. "So if that's all that she means to you, why go through with your 'experiment' in the first place?"

"For the sake of science. Nothing more." Relius laughed. "While a person may be utterly worthless, they do make for fascinating test subjects. Now, Nu. Come with me. Your experiment is over."

"No." Murakumo, at its full girth, materialized behind Nu, and she extended her hand. The mammoth blade sliced forward into Relius and sent him bouncing away. Screams sounded by the passersby as they fled. "Nu is not leaving Tsubaki."

"So be it." Rising from the blow as though it were no more than a tackle, Relius brushed off his suit and snapped his fingers. "Ignis. Bring in the Murakumo Unit."

In a flash of light, a magenta marionette appeared and swung a heavy, clawed hand at Nu. The girl squeaked and jetted backwards, knifing through the bench and stumbling amid the raking claws of wood. Whimpering, she summoned Murakumo to surround her and become her armor. "Tsubaki, help!"

"Nu!" Tsubaki raced forward to attack Ignis. However, something gripped both of her ankles, and she fell to her knees with a shriek. A pair of mechanical green hands emerged from the ground and grabbed her wrists, pinning her down entirely. She glanced back to see a similar pair of hands holding her ankles. "What the…?"

"My apologies, First Lieutenant…" Relius strode past her, watching as Ignis swung a barrage of slices at Nu. "But I cannot allow you to interfere. I would prefer not to have to terminate such a… reliable officer."

"You bastard!" Tsubaki struggled, but the mechanical clamps proved too strong. A punch from Ignis connected with Nu and sent her skidding. Tears forming again as her friend moaned and tried to pull herself back up, Tsubaki redoubled her struggles, still to no avail. "Let me go! Don't you dare touch Nu!"

"Cease this futility. It is embarrassing." Relius walked on without so much as a glance at the captive girl. "You will be released once I have brought Nu back to my laboratory. And I do hope you will cease your rebelliousness toward your superiors, Yayoi. This will be your last warning."

Growling, Tsubaki only struggled harder, but did not say anything further. All she could do was watch the horror show of Ignis driving Nu back, punch by punch. At such distance, the Murakumo Unit could not bring any of her weapons to bear, and as superhuman as her natural strength was, it was no match for that of Relius's weapon. Kicks and swipes with the blade on her wrist did nothing to deter Ignis, and each futile strike allowed another punch to push her further back. And even if she should find a way to escape Ignis's barrage, Relius was right there to pick it right back up. Tsubaki rested her forehead on the ground, sobbing from the hopelessness of the situation. "Please… stop it…"

"Ah!" Nu cried out in surprise as she collided with a wall with her latest backwards dash. With no options left to her, she lifted both hands skyward. "Overdrive. Calamity Sword."

The great sword of Murakumo formed overhead and crashed down on Ignis with ground-cracking force. It rose again, only to come back down and pound the marionette again. Three more times, the blade struck, leaving Ignis unmoving at her feet. With a loud cry of desperation, Nu extended her hands again, forming a wormhole before her. "Nu's not going with you!"

"Oh?" Relius smirked as he continued his approach. "I would not recommend using your Legacy Edge ability. After all, what if I were to sidestep… and allow your blades to carry on toward your helpless friend?"

"Huh?" Nu lowered her hands and stared past Relius. He was directly between her and Tsubaki, which meant that if she launched her barrage of blades… "But… no, this isn't…"

"Oh, I'm afraid this is, in fact, happening." Relius extended a hand her way, wearing an evil, victorious smirk. "Come with me, Nu. You cannot escape this."

"No, Nu, don't!" Tsubaki lunged against her restraints again, and this time, they gave a little, the screech of metal shearing apart following her voice. Unfortunately, it was not enough to free her of their hold. "You can't let him take you!"

"Hm… how's this?" Relius crouched down and planted a hand on the street. A fifth mechanical limb rose up, this time clutching Tsubaki around the throat. "I loathe stooping to such lowly methods, but I despise sullying my own hands even more. Come with me, Nu... or I will snap First Lieutenant Yayoi's neck."

Nu blinked twice, what little color in her face draining until bone pale. She sunk to her knees, and the armor that coated her entire body faded. Tears dripped to the ground, but she nodded. "…Nu will go with you. Just please don't hurt Tsubaki."

As Relius gave Nu a vicious smile, Tsubaki strained against her binds again, holding no regard for the cold fingers around her neck. "No! Please… please don't do this, Nu…" Sobs choked out the rest of her words. This couldn't be the end. She couldn't let Nu be taken by this psychopath. "…Please…"

Relius snapped his fingers, and a portal opened behind him, while the hand around her neck burrowed back underground. As Nu rose to her feet, she turned a teary smile to Tsubaki. "Like, thanks for everything you've done for Nu, Tsubaki. Nu will always be your friend."

"…Nu…!" Tsubaki strained one last time as Relius and Nu stepped into the vortex and vanished. With a cry of anguish, she planted her forehead down against the hot pavement, tears flowing beyond her control. After a minute of a crowd gathering around the trapped, crying girl, the mechanical prison suddenly released her. She fell flat onto her stomach. She couldn't just lay here; she had to go after Nu, no matter what the cost. She couldn't lose anything else… no. She _wouldn't_ lose anything else to the talons of the corrupt Librarium. Conviction renewed, Tsubaki pulled herself back up to her feet and darted toward Kagura's outpost, vision blurry from the tears.

She would not let Relius get away with this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the delay on this. Also, there is an Azrael-related one-shot coming as soon as this site stops being broken and allows me to post it. **


	9. Chapter 9

Kagura slumped forward, frowning as he looked down at some boring set of paperwork. The document before him was no doubt a vital matter. But how could he focus when every alarm bell in his head clanged to remind him of Nu? It had been well over an hour since her disappearance, and until he knew that she was safe, he could not begin to focus on anything else. With a grumble, he flopped back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm going to need a drink at this rate…"

The door burst open, and he leaped to his feet with a squawk. At first sight of the mane of red hair, relief flooded him. And then he saw Tsubaki's face—red-eyed and tear-trailed. He didn't even get a chance to speak before she was on him. "Nu's been taken by the NOL. We're going after her."

"Uh…" Kagura blinked, trying to process her words. "Wait, seriously? Who the heck…?"

"Relius Clover of the Engineering Department. He intends to erase her, just like Terumi did. I will not lose anyone else to these vile men." With narrowed eyes, Tsubaki grabbed Kagura's wrist and tugged. "I know I cannot defeat Clover on my own, however."

"…And so you're grabbing a colonel to help you. But Tsubaki, you know what you're doing, right? This is outright treason, only a couple hours after vouching for the NOL. You go through with this…"

"My status within the Librarium will be compromised, yes. However, what I seek is justice. Those that use their power for evil, such as Terumi and Clover, will face my judgment, regardless of their rank. I _will_ bring Nu back."

After digesting and mulling over every last one of Tsubaki's words, Kagura gave her his brilliant grin. "Now, that's what I like to hear. Sure, you got my help. Any idea where Relius might have taken her?"

"Thanks, Kagura." Tsubaki looked down and closed her eyes. Where could Relius have taken Nu…? "…I think I might know. It's a ways away, however; is there any way you could contact Rachel?"

* * *

><p>"Fascinating… your soul burns more brightly than before." Relius rubbed his chin as he examined Nu, bound in a globular machine with metal tubes burrowed into her back. "Truly, you may have proven useful in my designs, but alas. The Imperator desires you as her sword, so her sword you shall be."<p>

Nu hung her head. The mask she had worn to protect Tsubaki had long since ripped, revealing her true face—terrified and on the verge of tears. "…Nu doesn't want to be anyone's sword, but… you won't go after Tsubaki, right?"

"As long as she does not raise her blade against me, you have my word." Relius smirked. If it placated Nu into obedience, then so be it; he would claim no ill intent toward Yayoi. The truth, of course, was a total one-eighty from his words—the moment that the Yayoi heir showed the first sign of treachery, she would be dealt with. A shame her soul was not particularly useful to him. "Due to Kokonoe's interference, I cannot do this easily. My apologies; this will likely be exceedingly painful, and anesthetic would only be detrimental to this process. Make peace with whatever you believe in, Thirteen, whether it be some fictional deity or Tsubaki Yayoi. You will cease to exist as you are after this."

* * *

><p>A dark wormhole opened up and jettisoned out three figures; two rolled a ways from the velocity, the other floated down to her feet on wind. Rachel narrowed her eyes at what lay before her, a frown curving her lips. "…Miss Yayoi, whatever is this tower?"<p>

"Huh?" After picking herself up and dusting herself off, Tsubaki stared at the spire before her, an all too familiar structure. "This is the base at which I was stationed following the events in Kagutsuchi. If Relius isn't here, then I am at a loss at where to strike."

"I see." Rachel's frown deepened. A base? Just what was Terumi plotting by setting such a massive Cauldron as a base? Once this little operation was finished, the nature of such a place needed to be focused on. "Very well. I shall remain on guard out here; it would be quite the travesty if Terumi were to join forces with Relius while you fought him, would it not?"

"…I see. Alright." Privately, Tsubaki had been hoping that Rachel would join them, but her reasoning made enough sense. Without any further delay, she bolted forward, toward the entrance to the tower. "Kagura. Let's go."

"Right behind you, Tsu. Good luck holding down the fort here, Rachel." As Kagura caught up to his partner, he smirked. "You know, I usually take charge myself when girls are involved, but for you, I'll make an exception."

"You're horrible. Nice, and a good ally, but horrible. Now please stop the innuendos, at least until we're done here." Tsubaki slowed to a stop as she reached the entrance, and after drawing out a card from her uniform, swiped it through a reader. The door beeped and opened. "Thanks for trying to lighten the mood, though."

"Heh. No problem." As he peered into the abyss that waited through the entrance, Kagura scowled. "Kinda amazed that they didn't deactivate your access here, but… well. Not complaining. So, lead the way?"

"Alright." With an idle grip on Izayoi, Tsubaki entered the tower, maintaining as composed a march as she could. No sense attracting any trouble before meeting Relius, after all. The journey through the entryway was, as expected, uneventful, and they entered into the coiling ring of the tower. There, Tsubaki spotted a green-clad officer making his way around the circle and waved him over. "Excuse me, sir. Would you happen to know if Relius Clover is present?"

"Colonel Clover?" The soldier faltered at the two that approached him—there was no mistaking Kagura Mutsuki. "He is, and while he asked to be left alone, I suppose meeting with a superior wouldn't be out of the question. He is in the level 13 Engineering lab at the moment."

"Alright, thank you."

* * *

><p>Nu winced as the machine surrounding her whirred, an electric shock running through her body. The pressure on her body increased until she thought her bones would shatter. Still, despite the agony, she smiled; she focused only on the past week, the only week of her life she remembered. What should have been bleak and miserable was speared by a single beacon of light, one that allowed her to not worry about her past and erased all anxiety of her future. "Tsubaki… thank you so much…"<p>

The wattage of her jolt increased, and Nu cried out, extremities convulsing. Her body wanted to lean forward in an attempt to assuage the pain, but the metal prison kept her in place. Every time she tried to think about anything else—no matter what the experience—the agony just drew her right back out of her thoughts. She squealed, both in pain and frustration. This torture would drive her insane if she couldn't get her mind off of it…

Somehow, Nu forced herself to think of the single most comforting thought she could; Tsubaki's form, a light, kind smile on her face. She focused on that image, filling out every detail she could. Even the intense pain flooding her to black her out for good couldn't break her concentration on something so simple. From there, her thoughts spread to their experiences together. Their bonding. Their struggles. And with those thoughts, Nu smiled amidst her spasmodic limbs, a certain nirvana achieved.

But this peace proved short-lived. As Nu focused on her time with Tsubaki, the darker aspects emerged. Tsubaki had already lost her closest friends in a way. If Nu left her, she would be all alone again—a hell Nu knew of too well. At this point, they were all each other had; they belonged together, and nothing could be allowed to tear them apart. And so… _and so_… "…Nu doesn't wanna die… I'll hold on for you…"

All the while, the machine crackled, doing its best to drag Nu into the darkness for good.

* * *

><p>Relius frowned as Nu's screams, muffled by the machine, fell silent. Had she already fallen unconscious? No, that was impossible; a Murakumo should be hardier than that. Clearly she was merely resisting. He would check in five minutes or so. He doubted the electric shocks administered to her would do any lasting damage. As he returned to looking over data on Nu projected on a computer monitor, a sound came from the lab's door; a prolonged buzz indicating a failed entry. He grumbled to himself. "I requested my privacy. Be gone."<p>

No response came for several moments. Then the card reader buzzed again, and Relius snapped his fingers with an exasperated sigh. "Ignis. Kill them. I cannot be disturbed."

Ignis appeared and lurched towards the door, weaponized arms ready to skewer whoever dared intrude. And with a great crash, the door launched forward, Kagura propelling himself behind it with his sword held straight and stout. The rush purple energy around the blade struck Ignis and crashed her back into the wall. Lowering his blade, Kagura turned and smirked at Tsubaki, who still waited stunned at the entrance. "Told you we should have done this first."

Face impassive, Relius rose to his feet and regarded Kagura. "Mutsuki. You know you are not to interfere in my affairs, especially in such a way. Why have you seen fit to…" He trailed off as Tsubaki came into view. "…I see. Very well."

At his command, Ignis lunged straight at Tsubaki, trying to impale her where she stood. Kagura stepped in the way, and her bladed hand ground against his thick blade. Before she could recover, he booted her straight in the stomach. And winced as his foot made contact with cold steel. "Ow! Tsubaki, go find Nu. I'll hold them off."

"Right." Tsubaki charged forward, expecting Relius to bar her way. And as he did step before her, some metal limb gleaming within his coat, she launched into the air, aided by an Ars. A green fist shot up at her, but nothing except for the air churned in its wake so much as brushed her. She turned in midair and dove towards the ground at blistering speed, Izayoi shifting into armor around her to protect her from the impact. And with that, she was past Relius. She darted straight into the nearest door, leaving Kagura to deal with Relius.

As the door slammed shut behind Tsubaki, she stalled, holding in a gasp. A machine waited for her, crackling with electricity and thundering with its earthquake movements. And trapped within its dome, half-drowned in some aquamarine liquid, waited Nu. After coming out of her stupor, Tsubaki dashed up to the glass window and pressed against it, hoping that her friend was alright. "Nu! Wake up! Please, wake up!"

Within the machine, Nu stirred. Her single eye opened, and her jaw dropped. She said something, but the machine trapped her voice behind its wall. A brilliant flash of electricity blinded Tsubaki for a moment, and when it passed, Nu had crumpled over, eyes squinted shut and mouth open in a scream that managed to pierce through. Face pale, Tsubaki glanced to and fro. She had to get Nu out of this thing, right now. But she had no knowledge of this contraption, no knowledge of mechanics in general. What was she supposed to do…?

Her frantic gaze fell over a panel on the side of the machine. She raced over, looking it over. A lever, about the length of her middle finger, extended from the chrome side. Placing her hand on it, she looked back over at Nu. The girl convulsed and let out another scream, driving a wince through Tsubaki's face. This had to be it. With all of her might, she grabbed and pulled on the pole. It didn't budge. Eyes widening, she looked down at the panel itself. A number pad and a digital display…

A password. She needed a password to save Nu. With a growl of desperation, her free hand rose and tore at her hair. What the hell was she supposed to do now?! Destroy the machine and pray that Nu came out unscathed? She couldn't just give up here, not after jeopardizing her status within the NOL so much. There had to be a way…

Tsubaki closed her eyes and took a breath, letting her anxiety flood away. If she could do something about the password protecting the lever, this would all be solved. …And she could. Or at least, Izayoi could. She focused as she planted its tip against the display. If this failed, she would only have one recourse—destroy the machine in its entirety in a last-ditch effort to save Nu. Light built up along Izayoi's blade, but more than that came with it. Calling upon the entire electromagnetic spectrum that her weapon held at its command, Tsubaki charged up energy in her sword. After a short time, a familiar ache settled in her eyes, and she released.

The pulse surged through the device, scrambling its mixture of electronics and Ars Magus. With a whine of static, the display's glow died. Without hesitation, Tsubaki cast Izayoi aside and pulled on the lever with both hands. The metal rod went, and with a sputter, the machine's quaking ground to a halt. The blue liquid receded below, and the metal tubes retracted, leaving deep wounds on Nu's back. Panting from the adrenaline flooding her, Tsubaki raced to the front of the machine. "Nu! Are you alri—"

Before Tsubaki could even finish, Nu lunged out of the dome and tackled Tsubaki to the ground. With a high-pitched squeal, Nu wrapped a stranglehold around Tsubaki's body and pulled in as close as she could. "Oh my god, you really came for me! Thank you so much, Tsubaki!"

Tsubaki opened her mouth to respond, laughing all the way, but before she could, something wet and warm pressed against her lips. It took a moment to register what had happened, but when it did, she froze up and her face went bright red. But after only a moment, Nu pulled back, still holding her friend close. With her own blush, she closed her eyes and giggled. "Oh, uh, sorry about that. Nu just got carried away there."

"It's… alright." Tsubaki blinked away her surprise, lips still tingling from the sudden kiss, and smiled up at her friend. "I'm just glad you're okay, Nu."

"Mm… Tsubaki… I can't believe you really came." Eyes tearing up, Nu snuggled in against Tsubaki's body, curling up. "Nu hoped you would… it was all Nu thought about… but Nu didn't think you actually would…"

"Of course I would, Nu. You're my friend; I won't abandon you ever." After finally moving her arms to return the embrace, Tsubaki rested her chin atop Nu's head. Her hand stroked through Nu's hair, wringing out whatever liquid she had been dropped in. "I've already lost enough friends for one lifetime."

"Mm… Nu knows… all Nu could think about was that I didn't you to lose me as well." Tightening her grip on Tsubaki, Nu buried her face into Tsubaki's chest, tears budding to dot Tsubaki's uniform. "…I won't leave you again. Nu doesn't want either of us to be alone again."

"Nor do I, Nu." Smiling, Tsubaki pulled Nu closer and nuzzled into her hair. Her nose wrinkled at the chemical smell permeating from Nu's hair, but she didn't relinquish her grip. She wanted to just stay here and comfort Nu. But now was not the time. Sitting up, she pulled Nu along with her and parted from the hug. "We can talk more later. For now, we need to get out of here."

"Ah, right." After releasing Tsubaki, Nu jumped to her feet. White glowed around her as the great sword of Murakumo materialized and broke into bits of armor. Once the bodysuit formed, Nu nodded to Tsubaki, visor forming across her face. "How will we get past Relius, though?"

"I brought Kagura with me. He can hold Relius off while we make our escape." Tsubaki bolted over to the door and cracked it open. "Let's just see how he's doing…"

* * *

><p>"So, 'Ignis', huh? Pretty name." Kagura smirked as he blocked a slash of the marionette's claws. "What do you say you ditch Relius over there and come back with me?"<p>

As she watched behind the cracked-open door, Tsubaki just stared at Kagura for a full three seconds before burying her face in her palm. "…that _idiot_…"

"Oh?" At the other side of the room, Relius looked over at the door, frowning. "So the mouse has returned. So be it. Ignis. Kill Yayoi and restrain the Unit. I will deal with Mutsuki."

Claws already extended, Ignis stopped her attack on a dime and vanished. After a breath, she behind Tsubaki and Nu, wielding twin scythe blades. With a grunt, Kagura bolted as fast as he could their way, only for a blade to rise up from the ground and halt his progress. Snarling, he turned to Relius. "What? Mad about me hitting on your girl?"

"Hardly. Ignis is a tool, nothing more. Your attempts to woo her to your side are in vain. But I tire of this dance; I cannot allow any more interference." Relius closed his eyes for a moment, before rocketing forward, too fast for Kagura to follow. A chrome fist lunged from within Relius's cape and struck Kagura square in the chest. The Black Knight's eyes bulged at the impact, and he dropped to his knees with a throaty, blood-laced cough. The cyborg limb gripped him around the neck and hefted him off the ground. "I will be sure to let the Imperator know of your treachery."

"Kagura!" Tsubaki started forward, but halted to look back. Nu stood there, caught between Ignis's blades and struggling to push them away with her own swords. Nu looked back to give her a nod, and Tsubaki heaved a sigh. "…Hold on, Nu. Please."

With that, she darted forward, Izayoi lengthening in her grasp into a long, wide blade. She lunged straight at Relius's metallic joint, trying to severe the arm holding Kagura. With the most effortless of motions, Relius swiveled on his heel, placing his hostage before her blade. Before she could impale her friend, Tsubaki skidded to a halt, shortening Izayoi down to a knife. With a strangled grunt, Kagura lunged up with a knee and struck Relius's jaw. The scientist staggered back a step, but swung Kagura to the side and slammed him into an iron wall.

"Dammit…" Tears budding as failure loomed ever closer, Tsubaki lunged again. Izayoi retracted all the way and molded itself around her fist as a knuckle. Short blades extended from it as she delivered a punch at the elbow of Relius's mechanical arm. The claws pierced through the joint, but before she could retract them, Relius swung another robotic arm at her. The giant's fist caught her in the gut and launched her across the workroom into the far wall. As Tsubaki slumped to the ground, clutching a dislocated left shoulder that rendered her shield useless, Nu darted back to stand between her and Ignis. "Don't worry, Tsubaki. Nu will protect you."

"Nu…" Gasping for air, Tsubaki rose to her feet. She wobbled back against the wall, but returned Izayoi to its base form. It didn't matter what happened; she would fight until she couldn't do so any more. She glared as Ignis advanced, claws ready to slash at the two girls.

Face purple from asphyxiation, Kagura winced as he dropped his sword to grab Relius's arm with both hands. A nebula of purple mist grew within his palms before exploding into an Ars orb. The whirling sphere completed Tsubaki's work and shattered the limb at the joint, letting him dropped to his feet. No sooner had Kagura tossed aside the hand on his neck, its fingers limp and dead, than Relius swung a large, whirring blade his way. Dazed and unbalanced, Kagura fell flat on his back to avoid it. As he staggered back to his feet, he reclaimed his sword and planted in the ground, both for balance and to ward off another strike from Relius. "Alright, you bastard… I guess that's enough messing around."

"Hm. It's far too late, I'm afraid. Such a shame that so illustrious a figure must die a traitor." Relius took several paces back, out of range of Kagura's weapon, and observed, waiting for his opponent to make a move. He said nothing, made no movement. Just watched.

As he pulled as sword back out of the ground, Kagura took a step back with a snarl. Every card rested in Relius's hands now with that much distance between them. Who knew what other weaponry Relius possessed beneath his cloak, after all? But still, he had to act. He had to ensure that Tsubaki and Nu escaped in safety. Kagura lifted a hand, a purple maelstrom growing within his palm. With a roar, he spun it forward. As expected, Relius dodged to the side rather than deal with the collected seithr ball. "Wyvern!"

Sword pointed straight ahead, Kagura launched forward, violet mist erupting around his charge. Like a train, he bore down on Relius, ready to drag the puppeteer into the far wall and end this battle. Relius was unbalanced from dodging the sphere; there was no way he could dodge this…

"Led Ley." Relius spun on one foot, and the lancing charge passed straight through him. Kagura crashed headlong into the wall he had hoped to crush Relius against, and Relius smirked as he spun and brought forth another weapon, a green fist the size of a car. The punch smashed Kagura against the iron barrier, and he crumpled to the ground, bleeding from the forehead. "Such banality."

Nu squeaked as a saw blade whirred through the ground at her, shrapnel peppering her. She darted back, but almost toppled over backwards from her surge of momentum. Knees trembling, her body wanting to collapse from the torture she had endured, she nonetheless extended her hand and summoned forth a pair of swords to spear at Ignis. The marionette encased herself in a large, round blade and darted forward; the swords bounced off her protection, and Ignis bowled over the Murakumo.

Wincing, Nu pulled herself back up to her knees, clutching the wound cut through her bodysuit. From behind her, Tsubaki darted after Ignis, light gathered around her sword. Izayoi grew in size, and she brought it up in a slash. Ignis caught the attack on a clawed hand, but staggered back from the force. Before Tsubaki could balance herself after the attack, Ignis's arm spun into a drill and lunged. Tsubaki's attempt to block only managed to cast it aside, chewing on the flesh of her shoulder. With a scream, she stumbled away and toppled onto her back, unable to reach her other arm around to clutch her wound.

"Get away from her!" Panic lacing her mind, Nu darted forward, unbalanced though she was. Her wing-like swords crashed down against Ignis and drove her back into the wall. Fury spurring her into recklessness, Nu slashed again and again, beating Ignis down. "Nu won't let you hurt Tsubaki!"

And without warning, Ignis vanished, leaving Nu to bury her swords deep into the wall. Before Nu could retract them, claws clamped down her head from behind. She squealed as Ignis lifted her over her head, before slamming her against the ground. A light moan of defeat followed, but Ignis was not about to give her any chance to recuperate. She lifted Nu high again and hurled her across the room.

Tears budding, Tsubaki turned back to where Nu lay. No. No, it couldn't end like this. Kagura was here, he needed to… Footsteps snapped her to attention, and she paled. Relius strode her way, Kagura's body lying behind him, unconscious or worse. Despair speared Tsubaki through, and she fought to even stay on her knees. "This can't…"

"But it is. Reality is not some fantasy where your notion of good always prevails, First Lieutenant. Now…" Relius came to a stop and drew the whirring blade from before. "As interesting as it would be to experiment on you, I believe you are too much a nuisance to take any chances with. Farewell."

A gale blew. It started off but a breeze, but grew in intensity until it buffeted Relius and pushed him back. Behind the mask, however, he showed no emotion. "Alucard. Show yourself."

"Oh, very well." A hole opened in space, and Rachel stepped through to stand before Tsubaki. "As I thought. Relius proved quite out of your league. But at least you succeeded in retrieving Nu. Step through, Miss Yayoi. The portal shall bring you to the safety of my abode. I will follow shortly with your companions."

"Miss Rachel…" Whispering a soft thanks, Tsubaki crawled along the ground towards the wormhole. From her side, Ignis darted in, but a black cat of tiger-like size tackled the marionette to the ground. Wincing as each pulse of her heart renewed the pain in her body, she continued her crawl until finally, she slipped through the rift. A surge of motion pulled her forward, churning her stomach and doing no favors for her wound. She slammed into the ground after only a second, mercifully landing on her rear rather than either wounded shoulder.

At first, all Tsubaki could do was clutch her pounding head, eyes closed in a wince. She wanted to dive right back through and ensure Nu's safety, but knew that she could do nothing more at this point. When she opened her eyes, a gloved hand hovered before her face. "Huh…?"

"Miss Yayoi. It is a pleasure." An aging man towered over her, eyes wrinkled in concern. "Allow me to escort you to a more appropriate room to treat your wounds. And please, have faith in Madam Rachel. I assure you, she will not fail."

"Alright… thank you…" Body heavy, Tsubaki allowed the man to pull her up to her feet with no regard for who it was. She followed him along, clutching his hand to ensure her balance. As they passed through a door, she turned and cast one last look back at the portal. She chewed her lower lip with a silent prayer that Nu and Kagura would come back safely. As the man led her along, she paid no attention to her surroundings. All she could think about was the safety of her companions.

In short time, the man guided her to lay on a bed, which she did without a thought. He bowed low. "Please, rest, Miss Yayoi. I shall treat your wounds while you do so. Your mission to save your friend was a success."

Despite his words, worry gripped Tsubaki as she collapsed into a nightmare-laden sleep.


End file.
